Dragon Quest creator has no plans to retire, hopes Dragon Quest XI helps establish the series outside of Japan

Yuji Horii, creator of the Dragon Quest franchise, is 64 years old. At that age, most would be thinking about retirement from their job, if they haven't reitred already. That's not the case for Horii. In an interview with Verge, Horii showed no signs of stopping. He referenced 87-year-old Dragon Quest composer Koichi Sugiyama as a reason why.

“Looking at him, I think I can still go strong for another 20 years or so. ...There has never been a moment where I felt tired of working on the game. ...It took me about 10 years to get a sense that the series may potentially last. “It had never occurred to me that it would continue for 30 years when I initially started developing the game.”

Horii's latest entry in the franchise, Dragon Quest XI, is making its way stateside for PS4 and Switch. Horii is hoping this is the entry that will help truly establish the Dragon Quest franchise as a big player in the states.

“Dragon Quest XI is essentially a culmination of the series, but I also wanted this game to serve as a new starting point, too. ...I hope Dragon Quest XI becomes a new starting point for the franchise overseas.”