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Earlier this week, Square Enix lifted the lid on Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations for the legendary series.
The only mention about the game’s release was that it was “coming soon” to all platforms, with creator Yuji Horii also noting how the team was hoping to release it before Dragon Quest XII (which has now restarted development and got an updated title).
So, when will the new Monsters entry arrive? While there’s no specific release date just yet, a rating for the game has now been spotted on the ESRB. Although classifications don’t always signal an immediate release, it’s definitely welcome news to follow the initial announcement.
As confirmed in the announcement, it’s on its way to Switch and Switch 2 – with the ESRB page revealing it’s got an E10+ (Everyone 10+) rating and contains references to alcohol, fantasy violence as well as mild language. And here’s the official rating summary, which shares a bit of insight about the story and gameplay where you’ll tame wild monsters by engaging in turn-based combat:
“DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Withered World is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+ by the ESRB with Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, and Mild Language. Also includes In-Game Purchases. This is a role-playing game in which players help two girls on their quest to find a magical item. Players explore a fantasy world and tame wild monsters (e.g., slime, dragons, ghosts) by battling them in turn-based combat. Players select attack and various abilities (e.g., Gust Slash, Stone’s Throw) from a menu; battles are highlighted by smacking/zapping sounds and small explosions, with monsters disappearing then leaving coffins when defeated. The word “hell” appears in the game.”
You can check out the announcement trailer for this new Dragon Quest Monsters entry in our previous Nintendo Life post.
The ESRB has also rated Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition (following a classification in Taiwan in April). However, the release date for this one has been officially confirmed as 24th September 2026 on Switch 2. This game was previously released on the Switch in 2019.