Square Enix has celebrated Dragon Quest's 40th anniversary with a major broadcast revealing that the long-awaited Dragon Quest XII has been rebooted under a new title, alongside a Switch 2 port of Dragon Quest XI S and the return of the Dragon Quest Monsters series.
Dragon Quest XII: Beyond Dreams
Originally announced in 2021 as Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate, the next mainline entry has undergone a dramatic transformation. Producer Yosuke Saito confirmed during the stream that development was restarted internally, and the game now carries the new subtitle Beyond Dreams (written as ビヨンド・ドリームズ in Japanese).
"We're hard at work on 12, but due to a reshuffle of the team and a restart of development, it's going to be a bit longer till it's in your hands," Saito explained. "I believe it was the right decision to ensure the next Dragon Quest game will be one that all you fans of the series will really love."
"I believe it was the right decision to ensure the next Dragon Quest game will be one that all you fans of the series will really love." — Yosuke Saito, Producer
Square Enix has not yet confirmed platforms or a release window for Dragon Quest XII: Beyond Dreams, but early footage shown during the broadcast suggests the game is utilizing Unreal Engine 5 with a visual style that bridges the cel-shaded charm of Dragon Quest XI with more detailed environmental rendering.
Dragon Quest XI S Coming to Nintendo Switch 2
In more immediate news, Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition is officially coming to Nintendo Switch 2. The critically acclaimed JRPG, which originally launched in 2017, will bring its definitive edition content — including all bonus scenarios, 2D mode, and orchestral soundtrack — to Nintendo's next-generation console.
Dragon Quest Monsters Returns
The stream also confirmed the return of the Dragon Quest Monsters series after several years of silence. While details remain scarce, the announcement signals Square Enix's commitment to expanding the franchise beyond mainline entries and into its beloved monster-collecting spin-off series.
Community Reception
The Dragon Quest community has reacted with a mix of surprise and cautious optimism. On r/dragonquest, the announcement that DQ12 had been restarted entirely prompted debates about development timelines and Square Enix's quality standards. Many fans expressed relief that the company is willing to restart rather than ship a compromised product, drawing comparisons to the extended development of Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy VII Remake. On Twitter/X, the hashtag #DQ40th trended globally following the stream.
Sales & Impact
The Dragon Quest series has sold over 88 million units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. Dragon Quest XI alone has sold over 7 million copies across all platforms. The series remains particularly dominant in Japan, where Dragon Quest X and Dragon Quest Walk continue to be major revenue drivers for Square Enix.
The 40th anniversary stream also highlighted record-breaking engagement across the franchise's mobile titles and the ongoing success of the Dragon Quest Builders spin-off series.