Dragon Quest officially entered its 40th anniversary year on January 1, 2026, and Square Enix isn’t wasting time building hype. The company just revealed the gorgeous anniversary logo while series creator Yuji Horii confirmed that fans can expect multiple announcements throughout the year. After years of radio silence on Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate, the timing feels perfect for Square Enix to finally show what they’ve been working on since that 2021 teaser.
What Horii Actually Said
In a New Year message posted on X, Yuji Horii reflected on the massive milestone while teasing what’s coming. “Dragon Quest has officially entered its 40th anniversary year. This milestone is thanks to everyone who has supported us for so long, as well as the staff who have sustained us. I am truly grateful,” he wrote. The key line that has fans buzzing: “I believe we will have various announcements to share this year, so please look forward to them.”
Notice the plural – announcements, not announcement. That suggests Square Enix has multiple Dragon Quest projects in the pipeline beyond Dragon Quest XII. The company also released the official 40th anniversary logo with the message: “Please look forward to various announcements in celebration of the anniversary. Thank you for your continued support.” Dragon Quest X Online’s showrunner Takashi Anzai separately confirmed the team will be taking “various new challenges” that they plan to announce in 2026.
Dragon Quest XII Finally Getting Real
Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate was announced in May 2021 during the series’ 35th anniversary celebration. Since then, we’ve gotten basically nothing – just a logo and some vague comments about the game featuring a darker tone and more meaningful player choices. Series creator Yuji Horii did confirm in May 2024 that the game is still in development despite Square Enix canceling multiple projects, describing it as “a fitting posthumous work for the two people who have passed away.”
Those two people are almost certainly composer Koichi Sugiyama, who passed away in 2021, and character designer Akira Toriyama, the Dragon Ball creator who died in March 2024. Both had been involved with Dragon Quest since its very beginning in 1986. Horii’s comments suggest Dragon Quest XII will serve as a tribute to their decades of contributions to the franchise, which adds emotional weight to the project beyond just being the next mainline entry.
| Project | Status |
|---|---|
| Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate | In development since 2021, likely reveal in 2026 |
| Dragon Quest VII Reimagined | Releasing February 5, 2026 |
| Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake | In development, release date TBA |
| Dragon Quest XI S | Surpassed 7.5 million units sold as of January 2026 |
| Dragon Quest X Online | Still running, “new challenges” coming in 2026 |
What We Know About Dragon Quest XII
The little information Square Enix has shared paints an intriguing picture. Dragon Quest XII will be the first mainline entry since 2017’s Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, which has become one of the series’ most successful titles with over 7.5 million units sold worldwide. The new game is being developed in Unreal Engine 5, representing a significant technical leap for the franchise.
More interestingly, Horii has stated that Dragon Quest XII will feature a darker tone compared to previous entries and will emphasize player choice in ways the series hasn’t explored before. Traditional Dragon Quest games follow fairly linear narratives with minimal branching, so this suggests a fundamental shift in how the team approaches storytelling. The combat system is also getting overhauled, though specifics remain unclear.
The Remake Situation
While everyone waits for Dragon Quest XII news, Square Enix has kept the franchise active with remakes. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined launches on February 5, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and PC. The remake features a completely new diorama-style art direction blending Akira Toriyama’s iconic character designs with miniature-like environments. It’s also getting a streamlined main story, a Moonlighting system that lets you equip two vocations simultaneously, and a brand new conclusion that’s never been seen in previous versions.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is also in development, recreating the 1988 classic in the gorgeous visual style of Octopath Traveler. Originally announced in 2021 alongside Dragon Quest XII, the remake has been confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC, though no release date has been announced. Square Enix says it “draws near,” which could mean a 2026 release as part of the anniversary celebrations.
NieR Automata Getting Something Too
Interestingly, Dragon Quest isn’t the only franchise getting anniversary love from Square Enix in 2026. NieR series producer Yosuke Saito told 4Gamer that the studio will “prepare a little something” for the ninth anniversary of NieR: Automata. He also said he would be “incredibly happy” if everyone could celebrate Dragon Quest’s 40th anniversary together, suggesting some level of coordination between these various Square Enix anniversary efforts.
However, Saito also tempered expectations by stating fans shouldn’t expect major NieR announcements in 2026. That makes Dragon Quest’s promised “various announcements” even more significant – Square Enix is clearly positioning the franchise’s 40th anniversary as a major milestone worthy of substantial reveals.
The Timing Makes Sense
Dragon Quest turns 40 in May 2026, marking exactly four decades since the original game launched on the Famicom in Japan. The franchise has shipped more than 85 million units worldwide across 11 mainline titles, countless spin-offs, and multimedia adaptations including films, anime, novels, and manga. It holds multiple Guinness World Records including “Longest-Running Japanese RPG Series.”
For context, Dragon Quest XI launched in 2017, meaning it will have been nine years between mainline entries by the time Dragon Quest XII releases. That’s the longest gap in the series’ history. Square Enix knows fans are getting restless, especially after the company took a $140.9 million “content abandonment loss” in 2024 to cancel multiple projects. The 40th anniversary provides the perfect opportunity to reassure the community that Dragon Quest XII is real and making progress.
What Else Could They Announce
Beyond Dragon Quest XII and the already-revealed remakes, what else might Square Enix have planned? Dragon Quest X Online continues to operate in Japan, and Takashi Anzai’s comments about “various new challenges” suggest significant updates or possibly a Western release are being considered. There are also persistent rumors about remakes or remasters of other classic Dragon Quest titles.
Mobile games are another possibility – Dragon Quest has a strong presence on smartphones in Japan with titles like Dragon Quest Walk and Dragon Quest Tact. Anniversary events, merchandise collaborations, concerts featuring Koichi Sugiyama’s iconic compositions, and other celebratory content are all but guaranteed. The question is how much of it involves actual new games versus anniversary festivities.
FAQs
When is Dragon Quest’s 40th anniversary?
Dragon Quest officially turns 40 in May 2026, marking four decades since the original game launched on the Famicom in Japan on May 27, 1986.
Will Dragon Quest XII be announced in 2026?
While not officially confirmed, series creator Yuji Horii’s promise of “various announcements” during the 40th anniversary year strongly suggests Dragon Quest XII will finally get a proper reveal with gameplay, release date, and platform information.
When does Dragon Quest VII Reimagined release?
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined launches on February 5, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, and PC. It features a new diorama art style and a never-before-seen conclusion.
What happened to Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake?
The remake is still in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Square Enix says it “draws near” but hasn’t announced a specific release date yet.
What do we know about Dragon Quest XII?
Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate was announced in 2021 and is being developed in Unreal Engine 5. It will feature a darker tone, emphasis on player choice, and an overhauled combat system. No release date or gameplay has been shown.
Who are the two people Yuji Horii mentioned?
Horii was almost certainly referring to composer Koichi Sugiyama, who passed away in 2021, and character designer Akira Toriyama, who died in March 2024. Both worked on Dragon Quest since 1986.
How successful is Dragon Quest XI?
Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age and its Definitive Edition have sold over 7.5 million copies worldwide as of January 2026, making it one of the series’ most successful entries.
What other franchises is Square Enix celebrating in 2026?
NieR: Automata is celebrating its ninth anniversary in 2026, with producer Yosuke Saito saying the studio will “prepare a little something,” though he warned fans not to expect major announcements.
Conclusion
Dragon Quest’s 40th anniversary couldn’t come at a better time. After years of silence on Dragon Quest XII, remakes that keep getting delayed, and Square Enix’s turbulent restructuring that saw dozens of projects canceled, the franchise needs a win. Yuji Horii’s promise of multiple announcements throughout 2026 suggests Square Enix understands the assignment. The 40th anniversary logo is gorgeous, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined launches in just over a month, and the pieces are in place for Dragon Quest XII to finally step into the light. Whether we’re looking at a full reveal in February alongside the Dragon Quest VII launch, a blowout presentation in May for the actual anniversary date, or a drip feed of information across the year remains to be seen. But after nearly five years of waiting since that 2021 teaser, Dragon Quest fans deserve answers – and 2026 might finally deliver them.