Square Enix announced that Dragon Quest 12 is officially coming and the Japanese studio is aiming for a simultaneous worldwide release.
Dragon Quest 12 is a much-awaited title and Yuji Horie was dropping small hints about it. Now, the game is officially announced and it comes with the title “The Flames of Fate.” There’s no official release date announced yet.
Dragon Quest held anniversary livestream announcement
Dragon Quest is among the oldest JRPG franchises in the world. This year marks the game’s 35th anniversary, a year after Mario and Zelda’s anniversary. As part of the celebration, Square Enix held a special live stream that had special news about the series.
The stream did not disappoint, with Dragon Quest getting its 12th installment. Yuji Horie was hinting heavily at it earlier this week, not only talking about the stream. He kept referring to it as “that game”, which only meant one thing in the eyes of the fans.
“Dragon Quest will have its 35th anniversary stream this Thursday,” Horie said on Twitter, as translated with Google Translate. “And you may already know, but I will deliver the 35th Anniversary Special on the day. In the broadcast, we will announce a lot of things as gratitude for the past past. Of course, that game too…. Everyone, enjoy!!”
Square Enix revealed other Dragon Quest titles
The last Dragon Quest came out four years ago, which was Dragon Quest 11. It only made sense that Yuji Horie will reveal Dragon Quest 12, but there’s no other detail right now. The reveal itself came from a teaser, which was sparse in detail too.
It should be of note that Square Enix is aiming for a simultaneous worldwide release. This comes in contrast of the past few years, when the studio prioritized the Japanese version first. Most English versions usually came within a year after.
Over the past decades, the gap between release for Dragon Quest titles sharply declined. The worldwide release assures Square Enix that they can capture an entire market of anxious Western fans.
So far, the only detail that we know about Dragon Quest XII is its “darker tone.” There are also other titles in the franchise that are coming for this year.
For starters, Dragon Quest III will receive a remake and will get a 2D-HD style. It will come in a style similar to another stellar title, Octopath Traveler.
Other upcoming titles apart from Dragon Quest 12 include Dragon Quest Treasures, Dragon Quest Keshikeshi, and the Japan-only Dragon Quest X expansion, Dragon Quest X Offline.
Featured image courtesy of Square Enix/Youtube Screenshot