A Dragon Quest enthusiast known online as "Pu" found an unexpected way to cope with the long wait for the franchise's 12th installment: a custom wall clock where each hour is marked by the cover art of the numbered Dragon Quest games.

Pu shared the creative project on social media in April, and the response was enthusiastic enough that even a visiting air conditioning repair technician recognized it. According to Pu's post, the technician spotted the decorations, revealed they'd played through all the main Dragon Quest titles, and recognized the clock from internet posts—calling it a "fan pilgrimage site."

The timing of Pu's creation turned out to be perfect. Square Enix had teased Dragon Quest XII back in May 2021, but offered almost no updates in the five years that followed. That drought finally ended on May 27 during Dragon Quest Day, when franchise creator Yūji Horii unveiled a new trailer and officially announced the game's final title: Dragon Quest XII: Beyond Dreams (initially called The Flames of Fate).

The trailer introduces the game's protagonist as someone haunted by mysterious visions while sleeping. Horii emphasized an optimistic tone for the project, describing what lies beyond the dreams as "surely not a world of darkness, but a bright and exciting future"—a thematic shift that hints at the game's direction.

With Dragon Quest XII finally in motion, Pu's clock has a concrete purpose: it now serves as a genuine countdown rather than an open-ended tribute to the franchise. The 12th hour mark will finally have its place filled once the game launches, completing the visual timeline of Dragon Quest's numbered entries.

For fans who've been waiting since 2021 for concrete news, the announcement marks a major milestone. While an exact release date hasn't been confirmed yet, the reveal of the game's new direction and protagonist suggests development is progressing steadily.