Fans of the iconic Dragon Quest series can breathe a sigh of relief, as the creator, Yuji Horii, has officially confirmed that Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate has not been canceled. Initially 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. Despite the quiet period that followed, with the last update from Horii in February stating that the development team at Square Enix was "working hard" and promising information would be released "little by little," fans have been left in suspense.
In a recent interview with Gamereactor, Horii broke the silence once more, reassuring fans that the project remains on track. While he couldn't share specifics, he emphasized his dedication to the game, stating, "Yes, indeed, I can't say anything, I apologize. 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." This statement, though not accompanied by trailers or screenshots, should provide some comfort to fans who feared the game might have been canceled amidst restructuring at Square Enix and a lack of updates.
In May 2024, Horii noted the deaths of Dragon Quest character designer Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama, adding another layer of complexity to the project's development. Additionally, the series’ lead producer, Yu Miyake, had already stepped down to lead Square Enix’s mobile game division, further impacting the development landscape for Dragon Quest 12.
