Square Enix issued a significant update on Dragon Quest 12 today, giving fans a quick look at the long-awaited RPG sequel. The Japanese company also dropped the bombshell that the game’s development was restarted from scratch. As a result, Dragon Quest 12's original subtitle, The Flames of Fate, was ditched in favor of Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams.

In a special video to mark Dragon Quest’s 40th anniversary on May 27, Dragon Quest 12 executive producer Yosuke Saito and game designer Yuji Horii shed light on the upcoming game’s current state.

“We’re hard at work on 12,” Saito said. “But it’s going to be a bit longer until it’s in your hands.” He explaining that the title’s development was overhauled after a team reshuffle. “Work on the original version, Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate, hit a lot of hurdles along the way.” Saito added. “But as we kept talking with Mr. Horii and pinned down what a mainline Dragon Quest game should look like, we decided to move things around and start over from scratch.”

“It was a major decision, but I believe it’s the right one,” Saito said, citing that this rehaul will enable the dev team to make an enjoyable game that appeals to a wider range of Dragon Quest fans.

It seems the devs changed Dragon Quest 12’s protagonist, story and themes. Apparently, Beyond Dreams’ hero has mysterious visions in his sleep, and the plot will delve into what lies beyond these dreams. “The game has gone in a different direction to what we originally announced, but I think you’ll enjoy it,” Horii said. Dragon Quest 12 will explore a “bright and exciting future,” with Horii suggesting that Beyond Dreams may have ditched the darker tone that The Flames of Fate was set to bring to the 40-year-old series.

The game’s development has changed direction but Horii reassured fans that quintessential Dragon Quest elements remain. Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams will still have the late Akira Toriyama’s iconic character designs and composer Koichi Sugiyama’s epic score. Although Sugiyama passed away in 2021 and Toriyama in 2024, both creatives managed to complete work for Dragon Quest 12 before they departed. Both have worked on every entry in the series since 1986’s Dragon Quest 1.

However, it won’t just be the same old classic gameplay. Saito said that Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams will evolve the RPG series to the next level “with plenty of things you've never seen in a DQ game before.”

Dragon Quest fans have been waiting a long time. Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate was announced in 2021 during the series’ 35th anniversary celebrations. It’s also been eight years since the last mainline entry, Dragon Quest 11, was released. Saito and Horii did not give any hints as to a release timeline for Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams, so fans will have to wait a bit longer.

During the 40th anniversary celebration, Square Enix also revealed that spin-off title Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World will be coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch and Switch 2 (release date to be announced later). The game will feature Dragon Quest 5’s Nera and Bianca as dual protagonists. Also, Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes of an Elusive Age will be coming to Switch 2 on September 24.

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.