During Dragon Quest's 35th Anniversary event in 2021, Square Enix announced that both Dragon Quest 12 and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake are in development, but it's still up in the air which might release first. Square Enix didn't give players much more information beyond the basic fact of their development, leaving neither game with a release date or a list of which consoles will support them.

Dragon Quest is a franchise of JRPGs that saw its first release in 1986. Players step into the role of hero to face off against a great evil with help from a party of allies, often facing enemies that recur throughout the series. Dragon Quest 11, getting spinoff Dragon Quest Treasures, was the most recent entry for the mainline games, releasing in Japan in 2017 and the rest of the world in 2018.

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Players have waited at least four years for the release of Dragon Quest 12 depending upon where they live, but the lack of information about upcoming release dates for some of the Dragon Quest games that are in development makes it uncertain which title will be available next. Though the games were revealed to be officially in development at the same time, it's looking more likely that the wait for Dragon Quest 12 is going to be fairly long. In the meantime, players will have to settle for remakes and spinoff games as they wait.

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Will Likely Release Before DQ 12

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For Dragon Quest Day in 2022, Square Enix posted a message from Dragon Quest creator Yuri Hojii on YouTube. While he said that developers are working hard on creating Dragon Quest 12, he also said that players will have plenty of other content to occupy them until its release. On their own, the mainline Dragon Quest games are long and filled with content.

Additionally, Hojii's message on YouTube seems to imply that the other titles revealed for Dragon Quest's 35th Anniversary will be released before Dragon Quest 12, which means that players should be able to play Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake first, despite the HD-2D style that's become popular through games like Octopath Traveler being rather expensive.

There hasn't been much of a first look beyond a logo for Dragon Quest 12 yet. Since Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake has received a first look trailer, it wouldn't be surprising for it to be released first. While it might be disappointing to players that they have to continue waiting for Dragon Quest 12, the devotion of the development team and the fact that they aren't rushing to release the game should bring some comfort to fans of Dragon Quest waiting to enjoy the next game.

Next: Dragon Quest Treasures: All Recruitable Monsters Confirmed (So Far)