While it has been no secret that Square Enix has been trying to bring back classic RPGs from its back catalogue to new audiences through remakes and remasters, a new rumour is now going around that the company is working on a remake of Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. A report by Mp1st from over the weekend that the remake is slated for launch some time in either the fourth quarter of FY26 or early in FY27.
The remake is also believed to be an ambitious one. Rather than just being a remaster with higher-resolution textures and widescreen support, the remake will instead be at least on the tier of Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake, which makes use of visual techniques and technology that was first seen with Octopath Traveller.
In a ResetEra thread discussing the report, Bloomberg’s Jason Schrier has also thrown in his own thoughts, where he said that the assumption that Square Enix wants to bring back older Dragon Quest games through remakes is a safe one. He also, however, noted that these remakes, including the rumoured one for Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past, will not be as ambitious as the ongoing Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy.
“I think it’s safe to say that Square wants to remake as many DQ games as possible for modern platforms,” posted Schrier. “Doesn’t mean all or any of them are going to be big ambitious revamps like FFVIIR.”
When it comes to the Dragon Quest franchise, Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake is the next big release in line. The game, slated for an October 30 launch, is coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and the Switch 2, and will be priced at $59.99.
There is also a new mainline Dragon Quest game in the works, dubbed Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate. The game was originally announced all the way back in 2021. However, since then, Square Enix has been quiet about the RPG. Back in May, however, director Yuji Horii apologised for not having more concrete news about the status of the title.
“Yes, indeed, I can’t say anything, I apologise,” said Horii when asked about development progress on Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate. “I am making it, putting lots of work into it”, he insists in the video below. “I can only say that the next work will be great too, working really hard. Please look forward to it, is the only thing I can say.”
In the same interview, Horii also spoke about potentially bringing Dragon Quest 12 to the Switch 2, saying that “Yes, I believe it could be compatible with Switch 2 as well.” However, Square Enix is yet to reveal any concrete details about Dragon Quest 12.
Announced during the Dragon Quest 35th Anniversary special livestream in 2021, Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate is being developed on Unreal Engine 5. While release platforms haven’t been confirmed yet, Square Enix’s recent approach to multi-platform releases would indicate that it is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S at minimum.
