ESRB Rates Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World E10+

Square Enix’s newly revealed Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World received an E10+ rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board for Nintendo Switch and the next Nintendo console, listed as Switch 2. The rating appears on the ESRB website after the game’s reveal during the series’ 40th anniversary events.

The ESRB describes the title as a role-playing game in which players help two girls on a quest to find a magical item, explore a fantasy world and tame wild monsters by battling them in turn-based combat. The rating lists example enemies such as slime, dragons and ghosts and names sample abilities including Gust Slash and Stone’s Throw.

The ESRB summary reads: “Players explore a fantasy world and tame wild monsters (e.g., slime, dragons, ghosts) by battling them in turn-based combat.” The listing notes battle audio and visual cues such as smacking and zapping sounds and small explosions, and states that defeated monsters disappear and leave coffins. The word “hell” is also noted in the content descriptors.

The rating also states the game will include in-game purchases. Square Enix confirmed the title is planned for both the current Switch and the next Nintendo console and described the release as “coming soon.” Creator Yuji Horii indicated a desire to release the new Monsters entry before the studio’s next mainline Dragon Quest title, which has resumed development under an updated working title.

Ratings do not always indicate an imminent release date, but they reflect that a game’s content can be reviewed for age-appropriateness. Square Enix has separately confirmed a Switch 2 release date of September 24, 2026 for Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition. No release date or additional gameplay footage has been announced for The Withered World.