Square Enix Shares Sneak Peek for 'Dragon Quest X' in 2023

Fans of the popular Dragon Quest series have been clamoring for the release of "Dragon Quest X" in the west. Still, there has yet to be a word on localization.

However, in a recent interview with Famitsu, Square Enix hinted at the possibility of "new content" for the massively multiplayer online game, originally launched on the Nintendo Wii in 2012.

As reported by Nintendo Life, while there has been no mention of a possible localization, there appears to be an end-of-year update about the existing version. This update is reportedly exclusive to Japan.

New Dragon Quest Content

While it is unclear exactly what to expect from the new content, it's reassuring that the company is still committed to the project. In addition to the original Dragon Quest X, Square Enix released Dragon Quest X Offline on the Nintendo Switch in September. While this version is not localized, a demo is available from the Japanese eShop.

"Dragon Quest X Online" turned 10 in 2022, and many people helped make that happen. "Thank you. However, it is just a passing point. In the next ten years and beyond, we hope to make great strides with the cooperation of even more people," Square Enix's Kouji Aoyama said in the interview.

During the same interview, Square Enix mentioned that 2023 would be a year of "preparation and development," suggesting that the company has big plans for the popular franchise.

Square Enix Pulls Metaverse Deal

In other news, Japan-based game company Gumi Co. Ltd. has announced a capital and business alliance with Square Enix Holdings Co. Ltd. and financial services company SBI Holdings Co. Ltd. to accelerate the growth of its metaverse business as a secondary revenue stream.

Forkast News reports that this move follows announcements from other major game developers in Japan, including Square Enix, Sega, and Konami, who have revealed plans to enter the Web 3.0 market and incorporate metaverse technologies into their game titles.

Earlier this year, Square Enix sold three gaming studios, including Tomb Raider, to raise funds for new ventures utilizing blockchain technology. In October, Konami announced 13 new jobs focusing on adding metaverse technologies to its games.

Square Enix officially entered the NFT space in July with the release of its "Final Fantasy VII" NFT collection. The company unveiled its upcoming non-fungible project after earlier experimenting with the concept of employing blockchain technology for its next game.

Square Enix has chosen to collaborate with the NFT company Enjin, which will hold Square Enix's tokens on its own Efinity blockchain.

Consumers can now pre-order a physical action figure that will also come with a code that will allow buyers to redeem a digital NFT. There will also be real trading cards with their digital NFT component, which will be available for pre-order later this year.

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