DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Withered World

DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Withered World is a monster-taming role-playing game developed by Square Enix and TOSE CO., LTD. and published by Square Enix. It arrives on December 3, 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and the Microsoft Store on Windows. Square Enix calls it the newest addition to the DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS series and says no experience with the earlier games is needed to start this one.

The two leads are Bianca and Nera, described by Square Enix as fledgling monster wranglers. Neither of them fights. Instead they recruit monsters, raise them, combine them into stronger creatures, and send them into battle. See Characters for the cast, Story and Setting for the premise, and Battle and Party for how a fight actually plays out.

At a glance

In Japan the game is branded as the fourth numbered DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS title. Everywhere else it is sold under the subtitle alone.

Premise

Bianca and Nera are looking for the Leaves of Life, a fabled plant said to cure their sick fathers. A strange creature called Fluffy appears at their bedsides one night and leads them to the Kingdom of Witherwood, where the leaves are supposed to grow. They find the kingdom ravaged by malevolent forces that have all but wiped the leaves out. Fluffy gives the pair the power to befriend monsters, and they set out to bring the Leaves of Life back. The tagline Square Enix uses for the game is "Make the Whole World Bloom". Full detail is on Story and Setting.

Playing as a monster wrangler

A monster wrangler is a series staple: an adventurer with the knack for befriending monsters. Wranglers do not swing a sword themselves. They assemble a team and command it, which makes party building the whole of the combat system.

• Battle: turn-based, with up to four monsters active and four more in reserve. You can issue direct orders or hand a monster a general strategy to follow. Details on Battle and Party.

• Recruiting: a Show of Force during battle, the occasional volunteer after a win, or the Scout Run facility, which skips battle entirely. Details on Scouting and Recruitment.

• Raising: monsters level up, earn Talent Points, and develop differently depending on their personality. Details on Monster Growth and Talents.

• Synthesis: combine two monsters into a new one that can inherit their Talents and outclass both. Details on Synthesis.

Monsters

Square Enix states the game holds more than 500 monster species, mixing familiar faces from across the DRAGON QUEST series with brand-new creatures. Every monster belongs to one of eight families, sits at one of nine ranks from G up to X, comes in small or large size, and has a personality that shifts how it grows. Monster Families and Ranks covers those four properties and explains why a full roster list is not possible yet: only a small slice of the 500-plus has been shown before launch.

Exploring Witherwood

The Kingdom of Witherwood is the base you travel out from. The fields beyond it run from verdant plains to an ice-bound land, a beach in permanent summer, a plain where giant vegetables and fruit grow, and the ocean floor. Time passes from day to night as you explore, and the monsters you meet change with it. Your recruited monsters walk the field alongside you regardless of type or size. See Story and Setting.

Online play

Two online features are named: an Online Shop, which needs only a linked platform account, and Online Battles, which need the platform's paid online service. Modes range from serious tournaments to friendly matches. See Online Features.

Editions and extra content

Three editions are sold in the West: Standard, Digital Deluxe, and a physical Collector's Edition. Four downloadable content packs launch alongside the game, and a fifth add-on is sold on its own. Japan gets a different three-tier structure with its own retailer bonuses. See Editions and Pre-Order Bonuses, Downloadable Content, and Japanese Editions and Retailer Bonuses.

Staff

Technical pages

Platforms and Versions covers hardware formats, the game-key card, save rules and cross-generation questions. System Requirements carries the PC minimum and recommended specifications. Languages and Localization lists the supported languages and the localized place names.