Yuji Horii: "Can't Say Much" on Dragon Quest 12, But "Working Hard"

Fans of the iconic Dragon Quest series can breathe a sigh of relief: Yuji Horii, the creator of the franchise, has confirmed that Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is still in the works and has not been canceled. Announced during the series' 35th anniversary celebration in 2021, Dragon Quest 12 marks the first mainline entry since 2017's Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Since its announcement, updates have been sparse, with the last significant news coming in February when Horii mentioned that the development team at Square Enix was "working hard" and promised that information would be released gradually.

True to his word, the period following has seen little in the way of new information, but in a recent interview with Gamereactor, Horii provided reassurance to fans that the project remains on track. "Yes, indeed, I can't say anything, I apologize," he stated. "I am making it, putting lots of work into it... I can only say that the next work will be great too, [I'm] working really hard. Please look forward to it is the only thing I can say."

While fans might have hoped for more concrete updates like trailers or screenshots, Horii's reassurances should alleviate concerns that Dragon Quest 12 might have fallen victim to the restructuring at Square Enix and a lack of updates.

In May 2024, Horii acknowledged the tragic losses of Dragon Quest character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama. Additionally, the series’ lead producer Yu Miyake had already transitioned to lead Square Enix’s mobile game division, signaling significant changes within the company.