Dragon Quest 11 Western Release Announced For 2018

The latest entry in the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, has just made its debut in Japan, but there's been no word on a western release. While we still don't know exactly when to expect it, Square Enix has confirmed the game will be localized for western markets.

In a video published today (above), Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii reveals that work has already begun on localization. It's being translated into English and four other, unspecified languages.

"There's quite a lot of text, so it's an exorbitant amount of work," Horii said. "But we're doing our best and working hard to get this game to all of you as soon as possible, so I sincerely hope you look forward to the game."

Square Enix added that Dragon Quest XI will be out in the West at some point in 2018. More details will be announced this fall.

This announcement did not specify which versions of the game would come to the West. It launched just yesterday in Japan for PS4 and 3DS, although a Switch version is also in development. Additionally, there was no word on the special-edition 2DS or PS4 systems coming to the West; it's possible they'll remain exclusive to Japan, where the series is phenomenally popular.

Dragon Quest XI features new Zone and Link battle systems along with the ability to ride monsters. As you'd expect, the PS4 and 3DS versions look quite different, but they both feature traditional, turn-based combat.