Summary
Square Enixstated in its newest fiscal report thatDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakeexceeded its initial sales expectations. The company is widely known for setting a high bar for its games and rarely announces when a title surpasses expectations. However, since its release,Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakehas been pulling impressive sales numbers, prompting Square Enix to make a statement regarding its success.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakeis an entirely remade version of the classicDragon Quest 3for the NES, built in an HD-2D graphical engine and featuring numerous quality-of-life improvements. The JRPG was released on June 13, 2025, and was instantly a massive success, reaching nearly one million physical sales during in its first week in Japan. In December, Square Enix revealed thatDragon Quest 3 Remakesales surpassed two millioncopies worldwide, counting shipments and digital downloads.
These numbers pleased Square Enix, which revealed in itslatest financial reportthatDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remakehad stronger sales than initially thought. The company attributed the JRPG’s performance to the increase in operating income for its HD Games division, which covers console and PC titles. Meanwhile, the MMO division also saw a boost due to the release ofDawntrail, thelatest expansion forFinal Fantasy 14. Despite that, net sales were again down year-on-year since Square Enix’s 2023 financial results.
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Surpassed Sales Expectations
Usually, when Square Enix releases its financial report, it comes with several claims that its games didn’t meet sales expectations. This happened even afterFinal Fantasy 16sold three million unitsin its first week. Initially, Square Enix stated thatFinal Fantasy 16’s sales were extremely strong, but it shifted the narrative when announcing the financial report covering its launch period. According to the company,Final Fantasy 16’s long-term sales didn’t remain as high as expected, leading to lower-than-projected revenue.
In the past, the company has stated that other games also failed to meet expectations, includingTomb RaiderandSleeping Dogs, and even hinted, without outright saying it, thatFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthon PS5 also didn’t reach its expected sales figures. Surprisingly, one of the last games Square Enix revealed to haveexceeded expectations wasTrials of Mana, the remake of the thirdManaseries entry initially released for the SNES.
Due to these sales projections, along with other factors,Square Enix is focusing on multi-platform releases. For many years, Square Enix maintained strong partnerships with both PlayStation and Nintendo, releasing its games exclusively on their respective consoles, albeit for a limited time. Now, the Japanese company has stated that it will end exclusivity deals and aims to release all its future games across multiple platforms, including consoles and PCs.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake
WHERE TO PLAY
DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake is a stunning reimagining of the beloved masterpiece and narrative beginning to The Erdrick Trilogy.Story:Years ago, the great hero Ortega bid farewell to his wife and child as he set off on a quest to defeat the villainous Archfiend, Baramos. Ortega failed his quest, and Baramos still threatens the world. Now, on their sixteenth birthday, Ortega’s only child is summoned by the king of Aliahan and entrusted with a mission of the highest import: to take on Ortega’s quest, vanquish Baramos, and save the world.A fully modernized remake of the original:Stunning HD-2D visuals fuse pixel art with 3D graphics, bringing players into the world of DRAGON QUEST III like never before, along with an improved and modernized UI, and other quality of life improvements.Traditional DRAGON QUEST style battles:A refined take on the classic turn-based battle system, featuring new animations, additional improvements such as an adjustable battle speed, an auto-battle setting, and more.Immersive world:Deep exploration of a vast world map with an abundance of rich and captivating locations to discover, challenging players to overcome many unexpected encounters during the journey.
