Dragon Quest 12 Reportedly Suffers Delay, Producer "Steps Down" Following Reshuffle

For what it's worth it's kind of overstating how important this guy actually is to development. On 11 he was the head of Creative Unit 2 overseeing multiple other games at the same time, much more there for executive reasons than likely hands-on with the development.

In the header you have it as NeiR's developer when it should be producer. I thought maybe that meant Platinum was going to take over Dragon Quest and was pretty excited.

There’s no way this isn’t coming to the Mega Switch 2, right? DQ and Nintendo handhelds go together like rhubarb and custard.

I fully expect DQXII to be on the launch list of titles for the Switch successor. And then take another couple of years (or more) to release on it, just like with DQXI.

Stop repeating the lies and half-truths of Mochizuki. He hasn't stepped down, he got a promotion. And Saito has been producing Dragon Quest since DQ III.
Mochizuki is a master in disinformation because no outlet really cares, a good headline at getting clicks is all that matters...

I feel like it is only going downwards for Square Enix from now on.

If Kiryu-chan continues to helm the SE ship this game will be an NFT AI generated cloud game.

Would definitely 'redefine' the series.

@DarkCoolEdge +1 to having better researched articles.

@DarkCoolEdge If it helps, I won't remember any of these people's names.

With the passing of Akira Toriyama, I felt that Dragon Quest XII may very well be the final DQ game that used the true Akira Toriyama art style. Either that or Yuji Horii may hired a Toriyama protogé to reproduced such art styles for DQXIII.

@Serpenterror It's going to be interesting and a little scary to see how SE/DQ treat Toriyama's legacy.

I imagine it's been very difficult since both Sugiyama and Toriyama died during production, so I'm happy to wait as long as needed, this series is the gold standard of JRPGs.

i was expecting a mid 2025 release now it may be pushed back to either late 2025 or 2026...

Sadly, with the passing of both Sugiyama and now Toriyama, the series won't ever be the same. What made DQ consistently good was the fact that it was the same Dream Team since its inception.

I was hopeful that the series could make it into XII without Sugiyama, but without Toriyama? XII might turn out to be a shell of the series; visually similar perhaps, but the essence mostly devoid.

It's sad, and a bit of pessimistic view, but on the bright side I can count myself fortunate I've been with the series since I was born. And eleven great games is nothing to sneeze at. I'd be hard pressed to find another series with nine or more great mainline entries, not to mention a ton of side games of equal caliber. I know they exist, but it sure ain't common.

I don't see any way this is on the current Switch

@KBuckley27 it is a switch 2 game...

@Serpenterror I was actually wondering if they'll have Toyotaro step u as the new character designer, since he was basically being prepared to be Toriyama's successor with Dragon Ball Super.

@Jhena Why lol. They've released tons of good games recently.

FF7 Rebirth (best reviewed FF in decades)
FF16
Star Ocean 2 Remake
Octopath Traveller 2

They've also experimented with lots of great stuff like Harvestella, localised a new Dragon Quest Monsters game.

We've got more on the way with Visions of Mana, FFXIV expansion, FFXVI DLC and part 3 of FF7 remake.

@Mikey_205
Final Fantasy is a dying brand and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth sold so bad, they did not even reveal the sales figures. Star Ocean 2 Remake is propably good because the original was good. Octopath Traveler 2 sold considerably less, than 1. Forspoken was so bad, it killed a studio. Avengers did also poorly. Those two games are expensive.

They are just chasing quick and easy money making trends and failing, like they did with NFTs.

Their mobile department is also not running well, with many games failing. In this article is a link, to what Takashi Kiryu, the new president, said on new years. He mentions, they want to be agressive in applying AI Technologies to make content. I am sure this just means more lifeless content. I am not looking forward to games made by robots and I think this is another quick money fad, they will fall with.

Dragon Quest is loosing important staff and I think they were about to make the game dark or at least darker. I do not think it will be what makes Dragon Quest great.

I said it years ago and I say it again, this company lives on nostalgia. But this well is drying up now and the modern audiences, they are catering to now, well they do not buy games, I guess.

Of course you are free to like and buy what they produce and I hope you have a good time.

I found the last DQ quite dated so I very much welcome a darker and more mature tone (but c'mon how dark can DQ really be?). Yes FF outside of the MMORPG is losing momentum and DQ as well, they will need to innovate again.

Maybe one day I'll play a Dragon Quest game. Maybe, but probably not. Just have never been drawn to the cartoony style.

Where's my DQ3 2D remake?

I hope they fix the storytelling, DQ11 suffered from that. (Not gonna put a spoiler) I mean when long lost daughter meet father there should have been a good emotional scene, instead father tells daughter they'll talk later, that's the line of dialogue. That was terrible.

Did he make that terrible dragon quest treasures game?

@Browny Sugiyama and Toriyama probably already made a good amount, if not all, of their contributions to XII before their passings.

Has the Akira Toriyama artwork been finished for DQXII? Gonna be something if/when it takes on a different art style going forward.

@Jhena Uh...you do realize that FF VII Rebirth has only been out for 6 weeks whereas FF VII Remake has been out for 4 years so obviously the 4 year old game will have WAY more units sold at this point. Rebirth is sitting at just a bit fewer units sold at this point in its life than FF VII Remake did...

@Serpenterror I would bet Toriyama didn't make personaly DQ art since many iterations ago, his studio does the work like many japanese figureheads do.

@WiiWareWave
Again they have not mentioned sales figures yet, but they mentioned them with Remake, just a few days or a week after release. Why would they be shy about a success, more than a month after release?

All I can find is Rebirth is tracking 30% weaker, than Remake. Can you please post me the link, which says Rebirth is tracking just a little bit less, than Remake in the same time?

Yes I know a game, which has been out for longer, usually will have more sales, especially with a dying brand, but that was not my point nor did I say anything like it.

@Figaro if i remember correctly, i believe they do have a private emotional moment soon after. But anyways, i thought dq11 had the best storytelling ever and i’m someone who prefers a silent protagonist. It’s the perfect JRPG in my book.

@Ruthchild
That would be a fair assumption -but- Toriyama is personally credited with designing the lead characters for the DQ main games, and I'm fairly sure he was known for enjoying the work on the series very much.

Please, launch Dragon Quest IX - Part Two instead.

@Browny Toriyama only does main character designs and (doubtful anymore) monster designs. All of his work would have been needed awhile ago. I know he was a procrastinator / lazy but I think his stuff was safely completed for XII or at least close enough that the dev team had what they needed.

XIII on the other hand will be the first Dragon Quest game to be truly different in sound and design (and based on Horii's age, story).

@XenoShaun do you even play Dragon Quest? It is one of the few series that is "untouchable" in regards to tradition. Square Enix is at least smart enough to not mess around with this franchise, I don't see that changing until all the old-timers are gone.

@Serpenterror as someone else mentioned, Toriyama just does Key Art and main character designs, the rest is re-used from the series' lineage. His style is so established and mimicked, there are plenty of designers and artists that can recreate his stuff nearly perfect. The actual visual style for Dragon Quest can always live on, it would be the new cast members that may or may not be as interesting anymore. Or they may be even better with someone else putting their twist to things.

I can’t wait for the first Dragon Quest game with a new composer.

Square better not screw this up bad enough you did final fantasy dirty

I’m still convinced DQXII is going to be PS5 exclusive. I know the general rule is that the newest DQ is always released for the most prominent system with the biggest install base, but also knowing SE, I’ve a feeling that they would prefer to release it on more powerful hardware (see: Visions of Mana).

This doesn’t rule out the Switch successor getting a port (or launch til title like certain other users have indicated) but I’m skeptical.