Dragon Quest has officially been inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The honour arrives just ahead of Dragon Quest Day on May 27, which is the franchise’s 40th anniversary.
Established in 2015, the World Video Game Hall of Fame recognises games that have had a lasting impact on the video game industry, entertainment, popular culture, or society itself. Dragon Quest joins the hall as one of the defining role-playing game franchises ever made.
Originally released in 1986, Dragon Quest helped shape the modern JRPG format long before the genre became mainstream worldwide. The series introduced many mechanics and storytelling ideas that later became genre staples, including turn-based party combat, town exploration, world maps, and large-scale fantasy adventures built around character progression.
Created by game designer Yuji Horii, the franchise also became widely recognised for its art from Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama and music composed by Koichi Sugiyama. Together, the trio established a style that remained consistent across decades of sequels and spin-offs.
Over the years, Dragon Quest has expanded far beyond games as the franchise now includes anime, films, novels, manga, merchandise, and multiple spin-off titles. Square Enix says the series has shipped more than 97 million units worldwide across various mainline entries and side projects.
The series revisited its roots through Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, which reimagines the first two games using Square Enix’s HD-2D visual style. The remake follows Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, together forming the reworked Erdrick Trilogy.
The remakes include updated visuals, gameplay adjustments, and additional story content while keeping the original structure of the classic RPGs intact.
The latest entry in the series is Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, which released on February 5 this year. It is the remake of Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past featuring graphics that resembles dioramas.
Dragon Quest first launched in North America in 1989 under the name Dragon Warrior before later returning to its original Japanese title. Nearly four decades later, the series remains one of Japan’s most influential gaming franchises and still holds several Guinness World Records, including “Longest-Running Japanese RPG Series.”
Got any news tips, or want to discuss a possible story? Email us at ign_india@ign.com (to reach out with confidential tips, click here). For the latest on gaming, entertainment, pop culture, anime/manga, follow IGN India on Instagram, X, Facebook, and WhatsApp. For the latest videos, subscribe to us on YouTube.
