Dragon Quest 40th Livestream May 27; Horii Teases Next Game

The Dragon Quest series will mark its 40th anniversary with a livestream on May 27. Series creator Yuji Horii confirmed the date in a short YouTube message that has since been delisted and indicated the event will include an announcement about the next game. In the clip Horii said, “We’ll be doing a livestream on 27th May. I think we’ll be able to make an announcement about the next game. We’ll also have various other things besides the next game, so please look forward to it.” He did not name the title.

The phrase “the next game” is widely interpreted to refer to Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate, which was first revealed at the franchise’s 35th anniversary in 2021. Since that reveal there have been few official updates about Dragon Quest 12.

Recent activity in the series has focused on re-releases and remasters. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age launched in Japan in 2017, reached global markets in 2018 and returned as a Definitive Edition in 2020. Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined was released earlier this year.

Horii’s delisted message did not include platform or start-time details for the May 27 stream. The 35th anniversary program in 2021 introduced multiple projects across the franchise; Horii indicated the 40th anniversary livestream will include various announcements beyond the next game. Observers will look for details on Dragon Quest 12’s development status, target platforms and a possible release window.