Removed Nintendo Switch Game Returns to eShop With Permanent Price Drop

At the start of February, a significant game was removed from the Nintendo Switch eShop, leaving it unavailable to newcomers. While games are removed from digital platforms pretty often, the removal of Dragon Quest XI S – Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition was a pretty major deal. At the time, Square Enix assured fans that the removal was only temporary, and that the game would return following some “minor updates to the store listing.” After a month missing, Dragon Quest XI S is finally back, and the best part is, the game is now cheaper than it was before.

The new eShop price for Dragon Quest XI S is $39.99. According to Square Enix, this is a “permanently reduced price.” That means we could see sales drops in the future that bring the price even lower, but we shouldn’t expect to see it above $39.99 at any point. For those that have never played Dragon Quest XI S, this might be the best opportunity to do so. The only difference now seems to be that Square Enix is now listed as the game’s publisher, while Nintendo had handled previous publishing duties on the Switch version.

Dragon Quest XI was first released on 3DS and PS4 back in 2017. The game made the jump to Nintendo Switch in 2019 when it received a definitive edition. The definitive edition added several improvements, most notably the 3DS version’s ability to toggle between 3D graphics, and a 16-bit mode inspired by the original Dragon Quest games. The game was very well-received by critics, and is held in high-regard by fans of the series and the RPG genre in general.

Last month, Dragon Quest designer and series creator Yuji Horii offered a brief update on Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate. While the game was announced more than 3 years ago, it still sounds like it’s pretty far away from release. Horii is hoping that he can start to update the fan base more frequently on Dragon Quest XII‘s progress, but fans of the series will have to wait patiently before we get some kind of significant information. Those new to the series could use the price drop on Dragon Quest XI S as an excuse to try out the series ahead of The Flames of Fate.

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Last year, Square Enix released Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Nintendo Switch and other modern platforms. At some point this year, the company will follow that game with a similar remake of the first two entries in the series, thus completing the Erdrick trilogy. It’s a pretty good time to be a Dragon Quest fan, for both those newer to the series, and those that have been with the franchise since the early days.

Will this price drop get you to try out Dragon Quest XI S? Are you a fan of the Dragon Quest series? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!