The Dragon Quest series has passed 100 million units in combined worldwide shipments and digital sales, Square Enix confirmed on September 16. Polygon reported that the milestone was posted that morning by the official Dragon Quest X account.
The milestone came in the series' 40th anniversary year. Enix, the company that later became Square Enix, released the first Dragon Quest in Japan on May 27, 1986. According to Dot Esports, Square Enix had reported more than 97 million units as of February, so the series added roughly three million units in about seven months.
Dot Esports reported that the figure counts physical shipments and digital sales tracked since April 2015, including downloads of packaged games and digital-only releases on console and PC. The outlet said 100 million is now one of Square Enix's largest sales benchmarks for a single franchise.
To mark the milestone, series creator Yuji Horii released a message to fans. Polygon reported that he then dug into a cake decorated with monsters from the series.
As Dragon Quest reaches its 40th anniversary milestone, I'm filled with gratitude that we can share such wonderful news.
Horii added that the team would keep working to deliver adventures that excite players, and asked fans for their continued support.
What the series has released
The series has 11 mainline games so far, along with many spin-offs in other genres and novel, manga and anime adaptations. Polygon reported that Square Enix plans to release Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World later this year.
Square Enix showed Dragon Quest 12 again during the series' 40th anniversary livestream earlier this year. The game was first announced in 2021 with the subtitle The Flames of Fate. Executive producer Yosuke Saito said that version ran into many problems and that the team decided to start over. The game is now titled Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams. Polygon reported that Square Enix has not shared any further details or given it a release date or window.