Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii First Game Designer Named in Japan's Autumn Honors List - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 03 November 2025 / 1,370 Views
Yuji Horii, best known for creating and producing the Dragon Quest video game series, has been named in Japan's autumn honors list.
This is the first time a game designer has been recognized for their work, which is "awarded to those recognized for distinguished service to the state in various fields, except military service," according to VideoGamesChronicle.
Horii was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for his work on the RPG series. The Order of the Rising Sun is the third-highest order bestowed by the Japanese government. It should be noted the two-highest - Order of the Chrysanthemum, and Order of the Paulownia Flowers – tend to be reserved for heads of state and politicians.
"I’ve been making games for a long time, about 40 years now, but it’s not just my own efforts, it’s all thanks to the staff who helped me make it, and the users who have always supported me. I’ve levelled up in many ways, done many things, and all my hard work has paid off," said Hori (via FNN).
Horii has worked on every mainline Dragon Quest game since the original released in 1986.
The most recent release, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, launched for the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on October 30 for $59.99.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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dragon warrior blew me away on the NES. loved most of these games since, congrats!
Understandable
I get it, this guy pretty much created JRPGs, but it's insane to me that the first game designer to receive that Order isn't Miyamoto.
But congrats to Horii, I am playing through my first DQ and having a blast, consider myself a new fan!
