2026 begins with impactful news for RPG fans. As the year barely starts, Soraya Saga, co-founding writer of the Xenoblade Chronicles series and long-time partner of Tetsuya Takahashi, announced her definitive retirement, leaving a legacy that shaped games like Xenogears and Xenosaga. This move happens at a moment of reflection about the industry’s backstage, still in early January 2026. Meanwhile, Steam, Valve’s platform, approves the arrival of several games from the controversial erotic series Rance, by Alicesoft, but with a major caveat: all adult content will be removed, requiring external patches. Meanwhile, across the ocean, Western fans continue waiting for Dragon Quest X, an MMORPG that, even with an eighth expansion announced for June in Japan, still has no release forecast outside the country.
Why do these news matter now? Soraya Saga’s retirement rescues the history of difficulties behind cult sagas, revealing the writer’s personal struggle, who cared for sick family members in recent years. She declared not wanting to “ruin” Takahashi’s solo vision after so many setbacks. Meanwhile, the presence of Rance games on the main PC digital store reignites the debate about Valve’s lack of transparency and inconsistent policies for adult content. Finally, Dragon Quest X’s situation exemplifies the persistent cultural and commercial challenge that traditional Japanese franchises face in the Western market, even in 2026.
Soraya Saga’s Legacy and Xenoblade’s Future
Soraya Saga’s departure from the industry marks the end of an era. She was essential in creating iconic characters, like Edgar and Sabin from Final Fantasy VI, and co-wrote the complex plots of Xenogears and Xenosaga. Her decision, made at the end of 2025, came after a period of family care and resonated strongly among fans, who praised her unique influence. Thus, her absence was already felt in the most recent Xenoblade games, but her contribution to the series’ foundation is undeniable. The community’s warm reaction after her announcement seems to have surprised her, offering a more comforting career ending.
Rance on Steam: Adult Content and Opaque Policies
The arrival of titles like Rance 01+02, Rance 03 and Rance IX to Steam generates strangeness and debate. As a result of the platform’s unpredictable policy, the games will have their explicit sexual content completely removed in the standard version, following a known model from other eroges. However, this raises questions: why are these accepted while other games are banned for vague reasons? Valve’s lack of clarity creates an uncertain environment for developers and consumers. Despite the controversy surrounding the protagonist, the Rance series games are recognized for their robust RPG and strategy mechanics, attracting an audience beyond the adult content.
And what about Dragon Quest X? The situation remains complicated. Despite continuous success in Japan, with a new expansion, Stray Children of Time and Space, scheduled for June 2026, Square Enix still sees risks in a Western release. The historical resistance of the American public to traditional Japanese RPGs, with their Akira Toriyama artistic style and turn-based combat, seems to be the main barrier. Therefore, even the offline version, which would eliminate the complexity of maintaining servers, is considered a risky investment for a 14-year-old game. Will 2026 bring a change in mindset? The answer, for now, is still no.
