One of Square Enix's longest-running franchises aside from Final Fantasy is the Dragon Quest series, which is set to receive a new entry sometime in the coming years. Although Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate was announced to be in development back in May 2021 during a live stream celebrating the series' 35th anniversary, details about the game since then have been sparse. With the latest information coming from the company pointing to disappointing sales figures for titles like Forspoken, the lack of communication on the status of Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is getting concerning.
Square Enix has been struggling with many of its games in recent years, with titles like Babylon's Fall shutting down service less than a year after launch. Despite the upcoming release of Final Fantasy 16 putting the company in a good position to capitalize on one of its largest franchises, the inconsistent quality of its recent releases could bode ill for the future of the Dragon Quest series. Depending on the success of Final Fantasy 16, the quality of Dragon Quest 12 could make or break the company's future.
Breaking the Silence on Dragon Quest 12 Could be the Boost Square Enix Needs
While the Dragon Quest series has always been more popular in Japan than in the West, Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of An Elusive Age became a huge hit outside of Japan, selling over 6 million units worldwide. The entry's success paved the way for a sequel to go even bigger and build upon the aspects that made Dragon Quest 11 so popular. From the few details revealed about the next Dragon Quest game, it appears to this title will follow the trend set by other Square Enix series and take a darker tone than previous entries with a more action-oriented combat system.
Without further details, it's unclear how these elements will play out in the typically bright Dragon Quest series. Recent comments made by Square Enix President and CEO Yosuke Matsuda suggest the company plans to release multiple blockchain games in the near future. It's unclear if these are unannounced games or games fans are already aware of, but this announcement sets a controversial precedent for future Square Enix releases. The combination of these changes create a worrisome scenario for Dragon Quest fans without clarification of how gameplay will look in Dragon Quest 12.
It's clear Square Enix is still dedicated to Dragon Quest given how popular the franchise is in Japan, and the recent release of Dragon Quest Treasures as a spin-off title has been a great way to tide fans over until the next mainline game. However, aside from Dragon Quest 12, an HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest 3 was announced during the 35th anniversary live stream that has also only seen limited information released about it. Typically, these Dragon Quest projects still being up in the air wouldn't be cause for concern, but the financial struggles of the company in recent years could end up impacting even its largest franchises.
The best thing Square Enix could do to ease concerns about the Dragon Quest series is to share more details about Dragon Quest 12. It's likely focusing attention on the launch of Final Fantasy 16 before shifting to its other big franchise, but the radio silence on Dragon Quest 12 amidst financial floundering doesn't bode well for the game. Depending on when the Square Enix blockchain games release, Dragon Quest fans may be waiting even longer for status updates on the next entry in the franchise.
Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is currently in development.