DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Withered World is Square Enix’s creature-collecting RPG, developed with TOSE, and it launches on Thursday, December 3, 2026 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The Standard Edition is $59.99 and the Digital Deluxe Edition is $94.99, and the Deluxe opens two days early. We checked the Steam store page, the two official Square Enix announcements, the PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo store listings and Valve’s Steam Deck report on November 2, 2026, so every figure below comes from a page the publisher controls.
Key dates
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Digital Deluxe Edition opens | December 1, 2026, 12:00 a.m. ET, with 48 hours of early access |
| Console launch | December 3, 2026, 12:00 a.m. local time |
| PC launch on Steam | December 3, 2026, 12:00 p.m. ET (17:00 UTC) |
| Early Purchase Bonus deadline | January 5, 2027, 8:59 a.m. PST |
The console clock is local midnight: the PlayStation Store US listing carries a December 3, 2026 05:00 UTC stamp, its UK listing carries 00:00 UTC and the Japanese listing carries 15:00 UTC on December 2. Steam’s own countdown puts the PC release 12 hours later, at 17:00 UTC.
The essentials
| Version | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition | $59.99 | The base game on every platform above |
| Digital Deluxe Edition | $94.99 | The base game, four content packs, an item set and 48 hours of early access |
| Free demo | Free on Steam | The opening of the story up to the end of the Witherwood events |
What the Deluxe adds
Square Enix’s pre-purchase announcement lists the Digital Deluxe as the main game plus the DLC 4-ITEM SET (The Mega Mole Hole, Monster Marathons, Metallic Ring, Scout Run VIP Card), a “Way of the Wrangler” bonus (Necklace of Animation, 10x Beastie Bites, 10x Seeds of Skill) and 48 hours of early access. Buy either edition by January 5, 2027 at 8:59 a.m. PST and the Adventure Starter Set is included; digital buyers also get the Hearty Meat Set.
Confirmed features
- Cross-platform multiplayer is on the Steam listing, which tags the game as Multi-player, PvP, Online PvP, Co-op, Online Co-op and Cross-Platform Multiplayer.
- The free demo is live on Steam. Only rank G and rank F monsters can be befriended, and up to 8 monsters move into the full game, but only on the same platform you played the demo on, and they arrive at level 1 with default talents. Items and gold stay in the demo.
- Steam Deck: Valve’s own compatibility report rates the game Verified.
- PC requirements: Windows 11 (64-bit only), 8 GB of RAM, an RX 470, RX 5500 XT, Arc A380 or GTX 1660, and 40 GB of storage.
- Game Pass and PS Plus inclusion has not been announced for launch day, so plan on buying it.
The price sheet is unusually clear for a pre-order: $59.99 buys the game, and the $35 jump to the Digital Deluxe buys two days and four content packs, not story content. Square Enix keeps the deadline for the early purchase bonus months after launch, so a player who is still undecided in January can still pick up the Adventure Starter Set.
What this means for you
Buy the Standard Edition if you want to play on December 3 and can live without the bonus packs. Buy the Digital Deluxe if two extra days and the extra items matter more to you than $35. If you are unsure, the demo is already free on Steam, and the save data only carries over on the platform you used, so demo on the console or PC you plan to buy.
Our coverage
- Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World Release Time: When It Unlocks
- Dragon Quest Monsters Editions Compared: Standard vs Deluxe, Prices, DLC
- Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World PC Specs and Steam Deck Status
- All our Dragon Quest Monsters coverage, dates and trailers