Highlights
- After 12 years of exclusivity in Japan, there are signs that Dragon Quest 10 could finally be releasing in the West, with recent trailers hinting at a potential English version.
- Dragon Quest 10 stands out from other games in the series as the only MMORPG, but the offline version removes many MMO elements, making it a traditional RPG.
- While there is speculation about a Western release, it should be treated as a rumor for now, but fans are excited about the possibility of finally experiencing Dragon Quest 10 outside of Japan.
After 12 years since the release of Dragon Quest 10, there is reason to believe the Japan-exclusive RPG could be coming to the West. Just last year, the Dragon Quest 10 MMO got an offline version that was released on the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC – again, exclusively in Japan. Now, there is reason to believe the latest installment could be making its way to the West after all this time.
While the game doesn't rank highly on some lists of the best mainline Dragon Quest games, it stands out as being unique for a couple of reasons. For starters, it's the only MMORPG in the series. Every other mainline Dragon Quest game is a single-player RPG. That said, the offline version obviously strips the game of many of its MMO properties and makes Dragon Quest 10 simply an RPG. Lastly, the game infamously never made its way to the West. Both the original MMO for the Nintendo Wii and the offline version that launched last year are currently exclusive to Japan, but a recent report suggests this could change.
Gematsu shared on social media that Square Enix Asia recently uploaded trailers for another release of Dragon Quest 10 Offline slated for Spring 2024. These trailers refer to a wider Asian release of the game, but Gematsu believes a Western English version "could" be announced as this marks the first time either entry is being launched outside Japan. While still speculation, this would be a welcome announcement for many fans who believe Dragon Quest 10 Offline needs a Western release.
Interestingly enough, the trailers make no mention of a Nintendo Switch release, only listing the PS4, PS5, and PC. However, Nintendo has handled publishing duties on Dragon Quest games outside of Japan before, so this is likely to be par for the course. Again, Dragon Quest 10 Offline coming to the West is merely conjecture at this point, so the report should be treated as no more than a rumor.
Still, it's easy to see why fans of the franchise are getting excited about the possibility of Dragon Quest 10 potentially making its way to the West. Dragon Quest is easily one of the most popular JRPG series in the world, but one of the franchise's mainline entries hasn't yet been made available to a large portion of its audience. At the very least, a Western debut of Dragon Quest 10 could serve as a nice stopgap for fans looking forward to the long-awaited release of Dragon Quest 12 and the upcoming HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest 3.
Dragon Quest 10: Awakening of the Five Tribes is available now in Japan for PC, PS4, Switch, and Wii U.
