Square Enix has announced the latest mainline entry in the Dragon Quest series. Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate was revealed on a livestream to celebrate the series’ 35th anniversary. Not much beyond the game’s logo and title was revealed, but series creator Yuji Horii hinted at some changes to the traditional turn-based battle system, and said Square Enix was aiming for a simultaneous worldwide release.
Dragon Quest is the most popular RPG series in Japan. The last game, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, was released for the PlayStation 4 and 3DS in its home market in 2017, though the original Western release only came to the PS4 and PC. An updated version, Dragon Quest XI S, was released for the Nintendo Switch and later came to Xbox, PS4, PC, and Stadia. In total, Square Enix has shipped more than six million copies of Dragon Quest XI worldwide.
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Square Enix also announced five more new Dragon Quest titles during the broadcast.
- Dragon Quest Treasures, a treasure-hunting RPG starring characters from Dragon Quest XI
- A remake of Dragon Quest III in a similar “HD-2D” visual style to Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler
- The next major expansion to Dragon Quest X, the Japan-only MMO
- Dragon Quest X Offline, a top-down version of X that doesn’t require an internet connection
- Dragon Quest Keshikeshi, a mobile puzzle game
That’s a lot of Dragon Quest to be getting on with, although only III and Treasures are confirmed for a worldwide release at this stage.