Dragon Quest XII Finally Gets a Spotlight at the 40th Anniversary Stream

Today is a big day for Dragon Quest fans. Square Enix is hosting a special "Update from the Dragon Quest Team" broadcast on May 27 — the franchise's 40th anniversary — and all signs point to some seriously exciting news coming out of it.

Creator Yuji Horii teased ahead of the stream that they'd be announcing "the next game" alongside "various other things." At 40 years old, this franchise has earned one hell of a birthday party.

What We're Expecting

The big one is Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate. This game was announced back in 2021 and has been one of the most anticipated JRPGs in the genre ever since — but Square Enix has been unusually tight-lipped about it. Today's stream is the first major Dragon Quest showcase in years, and expectations are sky-high.

Beyond DQXII, Horii's teaser mentioned a second, separate Dragon Quest title would also be unveiled. Square Enix reportedly uploaded eight unlisted videos to the official Dragon Quest YouTube playlist ahead of the stream — one for each anticipated reveal. That's a lot of announcements for a 10-minute broadcast.

Why This Is a Huge Deal

Dragon Quest doesn't get the same global hype cycle as Final Fantasy, but in Japan it's on another level entirely. When Dragon Quest XI came out, the Japanese government reportedly asked the publishers to stop releasing games on weekdays because students were skipping school to play.

Dragon Quest XII has been in development for years with a focus on a darker, more mature tone — a big shift for the traditionally family-friendly series. The subtitle "The Flames of Fate" suggests a story with more weight and consequence than previous entries.

When and Where to Watch

The stream airs today at:

• 6:00 a.m. PT
• 9:00 a.m. ET
• 22:00 JST

It's available on the official Dragon Quest YouTube channel in both English and Japanese. There's also a follow-up 40th anniversary celebration stream later in the day at 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET.

The 40 Years Behind the Hype

The original Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest outside Japan) launched on May 27, 1986. It was the game that essentially invented the JRPG as a genre — before Dragon Quest, there was no template for what a Japanese console RPG was supposed to be.

Forty years later, the franchise has sold over 90 million copies worldwide and influenced basically every major RPG you've ever played. If Square Enix delivers even half of what fans are expecting today, it'll be worth every bit of the wait.

Keep an eye on the stream. This is one of those broadcasts you'll want to watch live.