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Dragon Quest XI's Switch development has been a very long and confusing process for fans of the series; the game was actually confirmed to be coming to the console way back in August 2016 (when we were still calling the Switch the NX), and it released on 3DS and PS4 in Japan last summer. Since then, we've had confirmation that the game will arrive in the west on PS4 this September, but the Switch release has remained shrouded in mystery.

Speaking with Polygon at E3 this year, producer Hokuto Okamoto has confirmed that the game is still very much in development for Switch but couldn't give any juicy details. 

“We’re making it. We’re still making it. I can’t say anything more... When we first announced [Dragon Quest XI], the Switch hadn’t come out yet, and the development kit also wasn’t finalised. The hardware specs weren’t out yet, but we were like, ‘We can manage this. We can put this out on the Switch.’”

Okamoto's mentioning of hardware specs suggests that the development team may have originally been expecting a more powerful console from Nintendo, likely assuming that a game built to run on the PS4 would be pretty much in line with what the 'NX' would be able to offer. Of course, it's possible that the final version of the Switch turned out to be drastically different to early development kits, potentially stopping the Dragon Quest team in its tracks.

The game's producer went on to say that they will be "taking care of all those many things” that need to be sorted and adjusted before we hear more news on a Switch release. We may well still have to face a pretty hefty wait before getting Dragon Quest XI's turn-based RPG goodness on Switch, but rest assured in the knowledge that it's definitely still on its way.

Have you been eagerly waiting for Dragon Quest XI to come over to the west? Will you wait until the game lands on Switch before buying a copy for yourself? Let us know with a comment below.

[source polygon.com]