Square Enix held a livestream celebrating Dragon Quest Day, marking the day the franchise first released way back in 1980. Since this is also the 40th anniversary, the studio went all out, with a multitude of announcements for the franchise. Including a new look at Dragon Quest XII, which has now added the subtitle of Beyond Dreams.
Dragon Quest XII: Beyond Dreams First Look And Update
Originally announced in 2021, Dragon Quest XII had previously received a teaser trailer before going mostly dark, save for updates from Yuji Horii and the team that the game still exists. During an update from the team, it was confirmed that because of a reshuffling of the team, as well as a restart to development, the title is still coming, just not as soon as we had hoped. This time, however, we did get a little bit of a look to tide us over. This includes our first look at the world, as well as the main character of the title.
Despite both having passed, the development team made a point to state that artist Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama will have a strong influence over these elements, respectively. Unfortunately, no timeframe as to when we can expect the game was given, but this is the deepest look the game has gotten so far.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Ago Comes to Nintendo Switch 2
There were rumors that Dragon Quest XI S would be getting a port to the Nintendo Switch, but now we finally have confirmation. The title was already on the Nintendo Switch, and it honestly performed great. This version will have everything from the previous one, but will also add the ability to choose between two modes, one prioritizing performance and the other prioritizing graphics. It will release on September 24, with preorders starting May 27. There is no word that an upgrade path will be available for people who already own it.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World Announced
I would have been happy with just a reveal of XII reveal, but no, they raised the bar further by announcing a brand new title in the Monsters series, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World. Unfortunately, we got very little information on this game, besides a look at two characters that appear to be the main characters. This said, the game has been announced for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC, giving a far bigger audience access to the game than the previous title.
Dragon Quest: Smash/Grow Events Announced
Dragon Quest: Smash/Grow, which was released on April 26, 2026, on Mobile and PC, will be getting a few events and rewards to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the franchise. Highlights from this include the co-op “Drive Back the Dragonlord’s Army,” an event that allows players to “obtain Princess Gwaelin’s exclusive equipment and a special DQ Anniversary Login Bonus offering up to 1,000 free Gems.” A Dragon Quest I crossover event is also still ongoing, with all exclusive content from that still attainable as well.
Overall, this is a good day to be a fan of the series with a lot of games to look forward to. Dragon Quest XII might still be a ways away, but at least now we have some idea of what to expect, and who isn’t happy Monsters is getting the resurgence it deserves.
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