Yuji Horii on Making Dragon Quest Games: “I’ll Probably Keep Working on Them Until I Die”

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined appears on the cover of Game Informer — a first for the franchise. To mark the occasion, I sat down with series creator Yuji Horii to trace the mainline series’ evolution; you can read the full retrospective here.

Horii, who is 71, remains actively involved in every new mainline Dragon Quest project, even as many contemporaries move into advisory roles or retire. He continues to contribute to the series’ future — including the in-development Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate — by overseeing the creative direction and ensuring each release aligns with the franchise’s spirit.

Yuji Horii signing a copy of Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of a Forgotten Past (Nintendo 3DS).

Near the end of our 90-minute conversation I asked what keeps him at the helm. He acknowledged that many tasks are now delegated to trusted colleagues, but emphasized that he still wants to supervise the series’ overall direction. On why he remains committed, Horii told me:

“You know, in recent years, there’s been increasingly more areas where I rely on other members to work on parts of the Dragon Quest titles. But I would still like to keep myself involved to oversee everything. I do consider Dragon Quest to be my child. I just really love it, and in that sense, I do think I will work on it until I die. I think the next goal for me is to witness the 50th Anniversary [2036].”

We can only hope he sees that milestone.

Release info: Dragon Quest VII Reimagined launches on February 5 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, Switch, and PC.

While you wait for launch, explore the digital issue and cover story — and consider subscribing to access the full suite of features and interviews: