The Dragon Quest Monsters series focuses on catching, raising, and combining ("synthesizing") iconic series creatures to build a fighting team.

Players take control of a Monster Wrangler who commands monsters in turn-based, strategic combat rather than fighting directly.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World features a robust collection of more than 500 new and fan-favorite monsters, evolved graphics and an engaging narrative that follows dual protagonists Bianca and Nera as they embark on a journey to bring the world of Witherwood back to life.

SQUARE ENIX announced that the Dragon Quest franchise has surpassed 100 million games sold.* This milestone arrives on the heels of critically acclaimed remakes of the series’ most beloved titles, with a highly anticipated new spin-off and the next mainline title on the horizon.

Ever since the originalDragon Questgame released in Japan in 1986, the Dragon Quest series has stood as a pioneer in the JRPG genre and has become a global phenomenon with 11 main series titles, numerous spin-offs and a host of films, anime, novels, manga and merchandise. With its player-friendly approach, compelling narrative, iconic characters and monsters, charming visuals and stunning soundtrack, Dragon Quest built a foundation for RPGs still apparent today.

In recent years, remakes of key entries in the venerated series have delighted critics and fans alike. Combined, DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake and DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake tell the complete story of the Erdrick Trilogy, remade in the signature HD-2D graphical style with never-before-seen story content and gameplay updates. In early 2026, DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined arrived as a bold remake of 2000’s DRAGON QUEST VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past, reimagining Akira Toriyama’s iconic character designs into a charming, hand-crafted 3D art style, complemented by diorama-inspired environments and dungeons, streamlined exploration and enhanced narrative depth.

As Dragon Quest celebrates 40 years, the series continues to delight fans worldwide with several new games coming soon. Recently, fans were able to revisit a beloved classic with the release of Dragon Quest Heroes: Torneko's Mystery Dungeon -Classic HD-. Meanwhile, DRAGON QUEST XII: Beyond Dreams is currently in development as the next mainline entry, with critically acclaimed DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on Sept. 24.

* Unit sales are the total number of cumulative package shipment and digital sales. Digital sales are the cumulative unit number in and after April 2015, and include full-game downloads of packaged games and download-only games for console and PC.

No experience with past Dragon Quest Monsters games is needed to dive into this monstrously fun new adventure.

Pre-orders are now live, with Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch digital pre-orders starting at a later date.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam) on Dec. 3, 2026.