Bloomberg: Dragon Quest series executive producer Yu Miyake to step down

Longtime Dragon Quest series executive producer Yu Miyake will step down from overseeing Dragon Quest games to head up Square Enix‘s smartphone games, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter. The move reportedly comes following delays in developing the next installment of the series.

Miyake, who joined Enix in 1990, has been credited as the executive producer on the Dragon Quest series since the release of Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker in 2006. He was first credited in a Dragon Quest game as production staff on Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride in 1992. In 2004, he the chief producer on the Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride remake for PlayStation 2, as well as one of the chief producers on Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King.

According to Bloomberg, Miyake’s move to smartphone games is part of a large-scale reorganization that took effect on April 1, which will see Square Einx overhaul its game development pipeline to help the company rely less on external resources and focus more on in-house AAA titles.

Yosuke Saito, best known for his role as producer of the NieR series, is a strong candidate to take over Miyake’s role, the people told Bloomberg. Saito was previously a producer on Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, as well as Dragon Quest X Online from versions 1 to 4.2.

(Image via Mynavi Creator.)