Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World

Lore & Background

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World was announced on May 27, 2026, as part of the 40th anniversary celebration of the Dragon Quest series. The game features Nera and Bianca, characters originally from Dragon Quest V (1992), which is the game that originated the monster-capturing concept for the spin-off series. Tose, the primary developer of the Dragon Quest Monsters series, returned to develop this title.

Reader's Guide

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World represents a significant milestone for the Dragon Quest Monsters series as its first multiplatform release, launching on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows. This broad availability marks a departure from the series' history of handheld-exclusive releases, which previously spanned Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Switch. The inclusion of Nera and Bianca from Dragon Quest V ties the game directly to the series' conceptual origins. As with other entries in the series, players will likely capture, breed, and raise monsters to fight in battles, with the player character not participating directly in combat. The game continues the tradition of character and monster designs by Akira Toriyama. The announcement on May 27, 2026, positions the game as a celebratory title for the Dragon Quest franchise's 40th anniversary.

Did You Know?

• Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World was announced on May 27, 2026, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Dragon Quest series.
• The game features Nera and Bianca, characters from Dragon Quest V (1992), which originated the monster-capturing concept for the spin-off series.
• It is the first Dragon Quest Monsters game to be released on multiple platforms, including Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows.
• Tose, the primary developer of the Dragon Quest Monsters series, returned to develop this title.