Yuji Horii's Crystal Ball Malfunction: Did the Dragon Quest Maestro Just Spill the Beans on DQ12?
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii accidentally revealed an upcoming May 27th livestream teasing an announcement for 'the next game'—presumably Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate—before the video was promptly delisted, sparking excitement and speculation among fans about the long-awaited title. (Credit: Tomas Franzese, Polygon)
Alright, buckle up, legends and digital adventurers! It seems the fabric of reality – or at least Square Enix's carefully crafted marketing reality – just got a bit... translucent. Our beloved digital sorcerer, Yuji Horii, the very brain behind the monumental *Dragon Quest* saga, pulled a proper Houdini this week. Except, instead of making something *disappear*, he accidentally made a future announcement *appear*. Fair dinkum, mate, that's some advanced spellcasting!
On a now-vanished episode of the KosoKoso broadcast (seriously, it did a disappearing act quicker than my last NFT investment), Horii-san let slip that a *Dragon Quest* livestream is brewing for May 27th. And here's the kicker, translated by the eagle-eyed folks at Gematsu: "I think we'll be able to make an announcement about the next game." The *next game*! Cue the dramatic music, folks. We're talking *Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate*, presumably. He also mentioned 'various other things,' which, let's be honest, is just icing on the speculative cake.
Naturally, the video promptly did a vanishing act, suggesting this wasn't exactly part of the grand plan. Did a digital wizard misplace his scroll of concealment? Or was it a perfectly orchestrated 'oopsie' to get us all chattering like goblins around a gold pile? My inner sceptic raises a single, finely-tuned eyebrow. Either way, it’s got us curious cats purring.
*DQ12* has been lurking in the shadows since its 35th-anniversary tease way back in 2021. Five years later, with the 40th anniversary looming, this feels like the perfect moment for the beast to re-emerge, doesn't it? It’s like waiting for Gandalf to show up, except we now have a date for his potential arrival (maybe).
Now, let’s be fair, *Dragon Quest* fans haven't exactly been left twiddling their thumbs in a digital void. We’ve had those gorgeous HD-2D remakes of the first three, a completely reimagined *DQ7*, and a flurry of spin-offs like *Dragon Quest Treasures*, *Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince*, and *Infinity Strash*. So while the main course has been on a slow simmer, the appetizers have been plentiful.
And just for good measure, the OG *Dragon Quest* recently got inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. A well-deserved honour for a series that practically invented the JRPG as we know it! It just goes to show, some magic truly stands the test of time.
So, the countdown is on. Will Square Enix confirm Horii-san’s slip before May 27th? Or will we all just have to wait with bated breath, wondering if this digital breadcrumb trail leads to a feast of *DQ12* news? Either way, it’s a brilliant little mystery, isn't it? Cheers to the maestros who keep us on our toes, even when they're accidentally revealing their secrets. Big thanks to Tomas Franzese over at Polygon for catching the initial scoop and keeping an eye on these mystical digital happenings.
Tags: Dragon Quest, Square Enix, RPG, Gaming News, Leaks
Original article: Polygon