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Dragon Quest is a long-running Japanese role-playing video game franchise created by Yuji Horii, spanning dozens of games and spin-offs since the 1980s.
1 story, first covered on Oct 12, 2026.
Dragon Quest is a series of role-playing video games from Japan. It first launched in the 1980s and has since become one of the most popular game franchises in the world. In North America, the series was originally released under the name Dragon Warrior until 2005, when the two names were unified back to Dragon Quest.
The series was created by Japanese game designer Yuji Horii, who is widely credited with shaping the Japanese role-playing game genre. Horii has remained closely involved with the franchise throughout its history, directing many of the main entries himself.
Dragon Quest helped define what a Japanese role-playing game looks like. Its turn-based combat, story-driven quests, and distinctive art style influenced countless other games. The franchise has expanded well beyond its core titles. Spin-off series such as Dragon Quest Monsters allow players to collect and raise creature companions. Dragon Quest X launched in 2012 as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, letting thousands of players explore the world together at the same time.
The franchise continues to release new games across multiple platforms. In October 2026, Yuji Horii demonstrated that generative AI — technology that creates new content rather than simply following pre-written instructions — can be used to build a playable Dragon Quest game in about 30 minutes. He said the technology means that even people who cannot program can create their own playable games alone, opening the door for a wider range of creators to work within the Dragon Quest universe.
Dragon Quest is a series of role-playing video games where players control a character or party, complete quests, fight enemies, and progress through a story. The main games are turn-based and focused on narrative.
Yuji Horii, a Japanese game designer, created the Dragon Quest series. He has been involved in the franchise since its beginning and continues to work on it today.
In October 2026, Yuji Horii showed that generative AI can be used to build a playable Dragon Quest game in about 30 minutes. He said the technology could let non-programmers create their own playable games on their own.
Made with AIDragon Quest creator makes game with AI in 30 minutesHerald of AIWilliam Tung from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Yuji Horii says generative AI lets even non-programmers build a playable game alone.