Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii Becomes First Game Dev to Receive Japanese Government Award

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Living Dragon Quest legend Yuji Horii just made history in his native Japan.

The 71-year-old has been awarded the ‘Order of the Rising Sun,’ a prestigious honor from the government recognizing significant contributions to their profession.

Yuji Horii is the first video game designer to ever receive this award. Previously, it had only been given to important people in the gaming industry, but not to someone who actually designs the games themselves.

It took a long time for Horii to receive this recognition, as he’s been developing the Dragon Quest series since the original game was released on the NES in 1986.

Despite his success, he’s stayed remarkably down-to-earth. When asked about the award, he explained that it was a result of the hard work of his team and the continued support of their players.

Horii reflected that he’s grown a lot, accomplished much, and that all his effort has been worth it, according to Fuji News Network.

Yuji Horii is still working on Dragon Quest 12, but details remain scarce since its logo was first shown in 2021.

Thankfully, the fantastic Dragon Quest HD-2D Remakes are keeping fans busy, and we can still look forward to the release of Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined in February 2026.

It’s wonderful that Horii received this award! Let’s show our support with a round of applause in the comments!

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2025-11-03 18:07