Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, has been included in Japan's autumn honors list

Yuji Horii has achieved a historic milestone by being the first game designer to be included in Japan's esteemed autumn honors list.

This year, Horii was among 3,963 individuals who were honored, as he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.

As noted by VGC, this prestigious award is conferred "to those recognized for distinguished service to the state in various fields, except military service." It ranks as the third highest honor granted by Japan’s government.

Horii is celebrated for his role in creating and developing the Dragon Quest franchise, having contributed to every main entry since its inception in 1986.

He also leads as the CEO of Armor Project, which co-owns the Dragon Quest series alongside Square Enix.

Expressing his gratitude, Horii remarked, "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," according to a statement provided to Japanese media outlet FNN.

He added, “I’ve leveled up in many ways, done many things, and all my hard work has paid off.”