Dragon Quest Producer Steps Down Following Delays with Next Game

05.04.2024 - 14:21 / gamerant.com / Square Enix / Takashi Kiryu / Jos

A longtime Square Enix producer is stepping down from his role overseeing the highly anticipated Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate. His departure comes amid ongoing delays in the Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate development, signaling a shift within Square Enix's game development structure.

Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is an upcoming role-playing video game in the long-running Dragon Quest series developed by Square Enix. Specific details about Dragon Quest 12 are still limited. However, the game is expected to continue the series' tradition of turn-based combat and fantasy storytelling. The extended development period has led to speculation about potential interesting new features in the game, particularly in its battle system and narrative elements, while retaining the cherished elements that define the Dragon Quest experience.

As reported by Bloomberg, Yu Miyake, the longtime producer of the acclaimed Dragon Quest series, has departed from his role following delays with the highly anticipated Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate. Miyake has been an integral part of the franchise since 1992 and is now transitioning to lead Square Enix's smartphone games division. Dragon Quest 12 is one of Square Enix's titles still in development, and the challenges it has faced have led to a restructuring within the company.

According to Bloomberg's confidential sources, President Takashi Kiryu is spearheading efforts to revitalize the company's game development pipeline. Kiryu aims to address declining sales of both major console releases and mobile titles by refocusing on in-house AAA game development and reducing reliance on external resources. It was also reported that as part of this reorganization, Yosuke Saito, renowned for his contributions to the various NieR series of games, emerged as a strong candidate to assume leadership of Dragon Quest production. Saito's expertise and experience in developing successful RPG titles position him as a potential successor to continue the legacy of the franchise; however, nothing has been officially confirmed yet.

Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate holds a unique place in the franchise, marking the longest gap between main series titles. This has created a lot of anticipation, even though there haven't been many details since its announcement in May 2021. This prolonged period has also raised expectations for a darker narrative akin to past entries, such as Dragon Quest 7 and 9. As fans eagerly await further updates and a potential release date, the departure of Yu Miyake and the imminent leadership transition highlight the challenges that the next Dragon Quest entry is currently encountering.

Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is an upcoming entry in the