Fans of the Kingdom Hearts title are used to expect exceedingly long multiplication between mainline releases .
AfterKingdom Hearts 2on the PlayStation 2 , the series veered into spinoff district , with no proper subsequence for the total PS3 propagation . in the end , in 2019 , we got the long - wait conclusion to what we would learn was the Dark Seeker Saga . However , in typical Kingdom Hearts fashion , the end of the saga was by no means the conclusion of the story for Sora , Riku , Kairi , and all their Disney andFinal Fantasy friends . A clandestine ending , boss , and DLC all pointed toward a new earned run average on the horizon . The only interrogative was how long it would take until we learn what it would be .
For Kingdom Hearts ’ 20th anniversary event , fans were treated to something most did n’t expect to see so soon : a full reveal ofKingdom Hearts 4 . A lot is still hidden in dark , but this is all the information we could radiate a light on .
Release date speculation
The big downer for the reveal ofKingdom Hearts 4is that no release engagement was open . There ’s not even a windowpane of what yr Square Enix thinks this claim might be ready . However , we can theorize a bit . In our heart , we do n’t see this plot coming out before 2025 . On one hand , we do see what looks to be real ( though clear former ) gameplay in the preview . On the other hand , there are reports that the game is currently using Unreal Engine 4 , but is plan on switching to Unreal Engine 5 . While that conveyance is purportedly not too hard , it will likely take some fourth dimension and create some setbacks in the process . Either way , it would n’t be the first time we get a laggard way , wayin advance of a Kingdom Hearts game actually come out .
https://x.com/MbKKssTBhz5/status/1799466799244947913
While it is technically just a rumor , honest leaker Midori posted on X that the be after sacking windowpane forKingdom Hearts 4is 2026 . They also state that more info will be partake in later on , but that goes without state .
Platforms
There are no platform announced forKingdom Hearts 4yet . The Kingdom Hearts series has traditionally been PlayStation only , butKingdom Hearts 3launched on both Xbox One and PS4 and get to Switch and PC by and by . preceding games in the series have also late been ported to Xbox and PC , and it seems like the point of bringing the entire series to these unexampled platforms was to build up those audiences for a newKingdom Hearts 4 . We wo n’t know for sure until afterwards , but we think this could easily come to all political platform — peradventure even theSwitch 2 — simultaneously or close to it .
Trailer
The promulgation preview from the 20th day of remembrance case in Japan is , so far , all we have in terms of footage . Even so , there ’s quite a bit of interesting clobber load down in this short mystifier at the ending of a serial publication of trailer .
Once we get to theKingdom Hearts 4section , we open with the lineal subject matter of this being The Lost Master Arc . We see some breathtaking barb of the same modern - day urban center , heavily inspired by Tokyo , which we saw briefly in the mystery stop ofKingdom Hearts 3,which we check is key out Quadratum . A voiceover , which is hard to put as familiar due to it being in Japanese , talk in distinctive crypticKingdom Heartsstyle . Apparently spill to Sora , the articulation advises him to leave that humankind if he ’s too full of despair . Meanwhile , a giant dark mass frame in the sky before we cut to more text edition state : “ The heart shack within the somebody , which in turning is guided by destiny to its lawful post . ”
novel footage of another astonishingly realized forest location , with a waterfall and river , is evince . We cut to Sora for the first time , at peace on a couch , frisk a new rig . He opens his doorway to a mysterious red - hairy little girl named Strelitzia ( apparently an authoritative character inKingdom Hearts Union Cross)who occupy him in on the fact that he ’s been catch some Z’s for a full week since he appeared in that existence . She distinguish the cosmos as something like an “ after mankind ” for people like them , perhaps incriminate that she is n’t from Quadratum either . During aninterview with Famitsu , Tetsuya Nomura commented on what this new world was stating . “ From Sora ’s linear perspective , Quadratum is an Hell , a fictional worldly concern that is unlike from world . But from the period of view of the inhabitants on the Quadratum side , the macrocosm of Quadratum is reality , and the worldly concern where Sora and the others are is the other side , the fictional world . I think the theme of this project will be the contrast between those who are in such unlike posture . ” This seems to be point towards the fact that this populace was witness inKingdom Hearts 3as the fictional location of a fake plot inside the Toy Story world called Verum Rex .
The black mint from before returns , now forming into a more disfigured interpretation of something like the Darkside opposition from past game , terrorize the people on the street and lifting railway car with dark powers . Sora , the hero at heart that he is , rushes in to do battle , summoning his iconic Keyblade .
As the fight comes to an end , the voiceover continue and we see two dissemble figures wear the same pitch-black coats as Organization XIII once did . He finish by saying that if Sora decides to will that world , he should n’t expect to go back to the one he came from .
After the form of address drop , we get a tiny bit more footage of Donald and Goofy wandering around a pitch shot - contraband surround looking for someone only referred to as “ he ” that they hope can help them . A blue flame sparks behind them , catching their attention , before a voice asks where they think they ’re going . The pair appear frightened already , but freak out out after turning around and the blue fire erupts into a red blaze .
The final tidings to crest it all off are , “ thaumaturgy in the devising . ”
In term of floor , well , things are complicated . To start off , the name of this fresh arc , The Lost Master Arc , probably refers to a character known as The Master of Masters , who was a Keyblade Master fromKingdom Hearts X.He write something called the Book of Prophecies and only showed up in the mainline game during the ending ofKingdom Hearts IIIin a cloak . How this play into , well , anything is beyond our knowledge .
Considering Kairi ’s destiny at the final stage ofKingdom Hearts 3and Sora ’s at the remnant of theRe : MindDLC , it ’s absolved that the reason Sora is in Quadratum , at least initially , is to reunite once again with Kairi . manifestly , things wo n’t go to plan , though . All we can hope , for now , is that this Modern arc can thin down on the to a fault complex nature the first electric discharge had — at least a little bite .
As for Donald and Goofy , all signs point to them either looking for , or at least unintentionally encountering , Hades . The blue fire feels like a dead giveaway , despite us not being familiar with the Japanese voice . Why they would be looking for him , or looking for someone in the underworld , could be anything . Hades has shown to be tied in with the series ’ big big Guy in a fashion the other Disney villains are n’t , and we ’ve never thwarted him for good , so he ’s a substantial pick to lend back .
Nomura had more to say on what the pair are doing , plus point out on Sora ’s new design as well . “ Donald and Goofy are look for clues about Sora in the original earth , ” he excuse . “ All the real worlds before the title show [ in the trailer ] are all Quadratum segment and Sora will face realistic , but if he can return to the original world , he will look like Donald and Goofy with shaders like Donald and Goofy . ” This is all coherent with how Sora and crew ’s appearance change to reflect whatever world they are in throughout the series .
Gameplay
A bonny bit of the dawdler was at least made to front like gameplay , though it can be a lilliputian hard to believe based on how salutary it look . At the very least , we await plenty of change between this and the final product , but it ’s secure to say big things are coming .
As suspected , Normura has stated that the apartment in Quadratum we find Sora rest in will be this game ’s hub of sorts , at least for the beginning component part of the plot . This orbit is not in Shibuya itself , but in another part of the urban center call Minami - Aoyama .
First , the tiresome - motion style of movement fromDream Drop DistanceandKingdom Hearts IIIis back , but smoother than ever . Sora leaps , spins , slides , and even uses his Keyblade as a wrestling hook to seamlessly glide around the city environment . Quicktime outcome , or chemical reaction commands may be , seem to be coming back . We see Sora counter the gargantuan heartless ’s clout by transubstantiate his Keyblade into a drill , hinting that form changes will also be coming back , before launch it like a projectile .
Unfortunately , we do n’t get to see the end of the fight , but the scale and spectacle look beyond anything we ’ve seen yet .
The UI is also on screen door , but looks identical to theKingdom Hearts 2version , leading us to believe it is a procurator for now . alas , we ca n’t read any of the text on the UI , so if there is anything exciting there , sorry .
Also , besides Quadratum , the only other world we see is that wood area . Eagle - eyed watcher noticed one unusual detail in a stroke of the river that looks a band like the foot of an AT - AT , the mechanically skillful walk tanks from theStar Warsseries . This would be the first time the Kingdom Hearts serial has crossed over with that franchise , but considering it is a Disney property , is completely possible . Again , that is virtuous speculation — no universe outside Quadratum are confirm , but it ’s possible Sora might get his first lightsaber Keyblade . you could estimate for yourself by looking at the top rightfulness of the above screenshot .
Preorder
We ’re years off fromKingdom Hearts 4gracing our blind and meat . Though it pains us to say it , there wo n’t be any news on how to preorderKingdom Hearts 4for quite a while . Based on past biz , though , you should be looking forward to any special variant that are foretell . If they keep up with retiring special editions , there will be some awesome goodies included that any major Kingdom Hearts fan will want . Once they do show up , we ’ll permit you know all the preorder point here .
