Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World Arrives in December

October 24, 2026

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World brings Square Enix’s monster-collecting RPG spin-off back on December 3, 2026. It combines turn-based role-playing with a collection of more than 500 monsters, offering a gentler alternative to the year’s more adult-focused blockbusters.

Players take control of younger versions of Bianca and Nera, the heroines from Dragon Quest 5. When both girls’ fathers fall ill with a mysterious sickness, they set out to find rare ingredients that could provide a cure.

Build a team through monster synthesis

Your active party is built around four monsters, which can be developed and combined to create stronger companions with particular skills and traits. Some creatures are only available through synthesis, while the most sought-after monsters require a more involved four-way combination known as grandparent synthesis.

The game also supports online multiplayer. Players can compete against others worldwide or form four-person squads for cooperative battles against giant monsters. That combination of team-building and shared challenges should give the adventure plenty of depth beyond its main quest.

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Editions, downloadable content and pre-order bonuses

Square Enix will release three editions of The Withered World:

Standard Edition: $59.99
Digital Deluxe Edition: $94.99
Collector’s Edition: $219.99

The Digital Deluxe Edition includes all four downloadable content packs available at launch. Each item can also be bought separately.

What the launch DLC includes

Mega Mole Hole: Extra dungeons featuring monsters encountered previously.
Monster Marathons: A mini-game that awards crafting materials, experience points and gold.
Metallic Ring: An item that turns nearby monsters into metal slimes, liquid metal slimes, metal king slimes or hunter mechs for experience farming.
Scout Run VIP Card: Special benefits for the Scout Run feature.

The Collector’s Edition contains a physical copy of the game, all Digital Deluxe downloadable content, six collectible figurines, a Slime pouch and a Dragon Quest-themed cleaning cloth.

Pre-order items

Anyone who pre-orders any edition receives two sets of in-game consumables:

Adventure Starter Set: 10 Monster Munchies, three Bonus Balls and five Seeds of Skill.
Hearty Meat Set: Five Monster Munchies, five Smoked Sirloins and five Meaty Treats.

Release platforms and date

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World launches on December 3 for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC through Steam and Xbox Series X.