Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has confirmed Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate remains in active development and hasn't been canceled.
The twelfth mainline Dragon Quest installment was unveiled during the franchise's 35th anniversary celebrations in 2021, marking the first new numbered entry since 2017's Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Updates have been scarce since then - the most recent communication came in February when Horii assured fans the Square Enix development team was "making steady progress" and promised periodic updates would follow.
Horii stayed true to his word about measured updates. While complete silence followed for months, his recent interview with Gamereactor serves as renewed confirmation that development continues uninterrupted.
"While I sincerely apologize for not being able to share specifics," Horii stated, "I want to confirm we're dedicating tremendous effort into its creation... What I can promise is that this next installment will meet expectations - we're working diligently. For now, enthusiastic anticipation is all I can ask."
While fans might prefer gameplay footage or screenshots over verbal assurances, this confirmation should relieve concerns about the game's status following Square Enix's corporate restructuring and prolonged development silence.
May 2024 saw Horii publicly acknowledge the recent passing of two legendary collaborators - character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama. These losses followed lead producer Yu Miyake's transition away from the franchise to oversee Square Enix's mobile gaming division.
