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Square Enix has announced that Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is getting a free demo, earlier than you probably expected.
The official Dragon Quest account made this announcement on Twitter:
Play the free demo for DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined starting January 7th on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam!
You’ll be able to carry over your progress into the full game when it releases on February 5, 2026.
Wait, What’s Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Again?
This is a full 3D remake of Dragon Quest VII, the PlayStation game released all the way back in 2000.
Producer Takeshi Ichikawa said that the game is being ‘re-built from the ground up,’ and that means more than just giving it 3D graphics.
Beyond the visual upgrade, Square Enix is making real changes to the game design, moving away from the idea of a faithful recreation of the original.
Should I Be Excited For The Demo?
Of course, not everyone likes to play turn-based RPGs. So you may already be bowing out based on that alone.
What makes this noteworthy is that it’s the first AAA game demo of the year. For all the worries and concerns we may have had about the industry going in, Square Enix is starting us off on the right foot.
Of course, we can’t convince you to like Dragon Quest, but this is at least an opportunity to give it a try. Whether you’re on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo, you can download this demo tomorrow.
Square Enix didn’t tell us how big this demo will be, but they have a reputation for being incredibly generous with these demos.
They can somewhat rely on their hardcore fans to buy the games, and some of them may need some prodding to be reassured their next title will be something they like.
Square Enix knows not everyone who plays the demo will go on to buy the game. But at least to some degree, they’ll be happy to get some players interested in Dragon Quest.
A Hopeful Note For Square Enix
Square Enix fans do have reason to be concerned since last year. An activist investor named 3D Investment Partners has been slowly increasing their stake in the company.
As of Christmas Eve, they had 16.48 % share in the company, second only to Enix founder Yasuhiro Fukushima who has 19.28 %.
One may reasonably question what motives 3D Investment Partners has, and we know there are fans who may be happy to see a change in leadership at Square Enix.
But for now, we can forget all of that as we gear up for Square Enix’s next big demo.
Square Enix also released the opening movie for Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. You can watch it on YouTube below.
