Dragon Quest XII is officially on the way — and so is a Dragon Quest III remake

dragon quest xii
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate is in development. Square Enix recently announced the latest entry in its long-running Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) franchise, claiming that it would tell a more "adult" story, and put player choices first and foremost.

If you're worried about Dragon Quest XII taking the series too far from its upbeat, family-friendly roots, then don't worry: Square Enix also announced Dragon Quest III HD-2D, a gorgeous remake of fan-favorite Dragon Quest III.

We learned about these games, as well as a handful of other Dragon Quest titles, during the Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary Special livestream, which aired on May 26. This marks the first time a Dragon Quest livestream had official English subtitles, which is a big deal for Western fans of the series. If you missed the livestream, you can rewatch the whole hourlong presentation on YouTube.

First, the big news: Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate is in the works. This is the first main entry in the series since Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age in 2017. According to Square Enix, the game will have a "new" battle system, as well as a story that takes player choices into account. The series has never really experimented with that feature before. The game will also target an older audience, in contrast to the bright, happy games in the series so far. (Although, to be fair, many Dragon Quest stories start out that way, and get plenty dark before the end.) Otherwise, all we have right now is a logo.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D

We have more substantial information about Dragon Quest III HD-2D. This game is a remake of Dragon Quest III, which debuted in 1988, and which Square Enix has re-released many times since then. At present, you can play an updated version on both smartphones and the Nintendo Switch.

By contrast, Dragon Quest III HD-2D looks like a ground-up reworking, particularly when it comes to graphics. The game resembles Octopath Traveler, with high-resolution sprites, multi-tiered environments and a soft-focus filter that gives the whole production a storybook angle. The battle system seems to be the same turn-based affair as before, although this time, you can actually see your characters, rather than just the enemies.

dragon quest iii hd-2d

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Square Enix also touched on a few other titles, including Dragon Quest Treasures and Dragon Quest X Offline. The former is a spinoff starring supporting characters from Dragon Quest XI. The latter, though, is an offline version of the Dragon Quest X MMO, currently available only in Japan. If the offline version launches worldwide, Western fans would finally get a chance to play Dragon Quest X.

There is one drawback in all this news, however: Square Enix didn't announce platforms or release dates for any of these games. Dragon Quest XI was available on PlayStation, Xbox, PC and Switch, so hopefully the next suite of games will follow suit.

Marshall Honorof

Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom's Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi. 

Read more
A screenshot from the Ghost of Yotei State of Play 2024 PS5 announcement trailer showing Atsu drawing a sword
12 games we can’t wait to play in 2025 on PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and PC
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 screenshot
7 biggest new games launching in February 2025 for PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PC
Sniper Elite: Resistance
5 biggest new games launching in January 2025 for PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PC
PlayStation logo on a phone in front of a State of Play logo.
PlayStation State of Play live updates — Metal Gear Solid Delta, MindsEye, and more announced
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 screenshot
Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is the first must-play game of 2025 — here’s my verdict after 45 hours
Best Games of 2024
13 best video games of 2024 — our favorites on PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and PC
Latest in Gaming
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #379 (Monday, March 17 2025)
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Sunday, March 16 (#644)
Nintendo Switch 2
New Nintendo Switch 2 FCC filing suggests this beloved Nintendo controller could make a comeback
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #378 (Sunday, March 16 2025)
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Saturday, March 15 (#643)
Asus ROG Ally
I love my ROG Ally, and these 5 simple tweaks help me game longer
Latest in News
iPhone 17 Air render
New leaked iPhone 17 dummy units show off super-thin iPhone 17 Air with this surprising design tweak
Simone Ashley and Hero Fiennes Tiffin in "Picture This" now streaming on Prime Video
Prime Video top 10 has 3 must-watch movies — including a bubbly romcom starring 'Bridgerton's' Simone Ashley
(L-R) Josh Hartnett as Cooper and Ariel Donoghue as Riley in "Trap"
Netflix top 10 movies — here’s the 3 worth watching right now
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #379 (Monday, March 17 2025)
iOS 19 logo on an iPhone
Apple WWDC 2025: iOS 19 and everything we know so far
Siri
Siri 2.0 features reportedly only working ‘two-thirds to 80% of the time’