Kingdom Hearts 4 is a reality and Square-Enix is giving fans their first taste of the highly-anticipated new game.
At an event celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Kingdom Hearts series, the publisher dropped a trailer revealing three new titles. The highlight was Kingdom Hearts 4, which had an intriguing trailer that seemingly showed off some new gameplay. Not only did that trailer show off a new look for Sora, it also demonstrated what appears to be a brand new environment. Here’s what we know about the game at this point.
No release date has yet been given for Kingdom Hearts 4, but it’s unlikely to come out any time soon.
Kingdom Hearts 3 is infamous for how long it was in development. The game technically started development in 2005 shortly after the release of Kingdom Hearts 2. It wasn’t officially revealed until E3 2013. Kingdom Hearts 3 didn’t officially launch until 2019, 14 years after it was first made official.
Thankfully, odds are that Kingdom Hearts 4 will come out sooner than that. But fans shouldn’t expect it to release in the next year or two.
Odds are that Kingdom Hearts 4 will come out on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. A PC release is also likely, though it’s unclear if it will launch simultaneously alongside the PS5 and Xbox versions.
Kingdom Hearts 3 dropped in January 2019 with a PS4 and Xbox One release. A PC version came out in 2021 and was followed by a Nintendo Switch release in 2022. More recently, Square-Enix title Final Fantasy Origins: Stranger of Paradise came out in 2022 with a simultaneous release on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
If KH4 were coming out soon, it’s likely it would receive a simultaneous release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Because Kingdom Hearts 4’s release is likely far in the future, it’s unknown what the gaming landscape will look like by then. A new Nintendo console could launch, and previous generations of the PlayStation and Xbox consoles may no longer be actively supported.
Donald and Goofy will be in Kingdom Hearts 4, and other Disney characters will likely join them.
Kingdom Hearts 3 broke from series norms by focusing entirely on Disney characters and worlds. That trend could continue in Kingdom Hearts 4. At the very least, fans can expect Sora to be flanked by Donald and Goofy once again.Â
It’s unknown whether Kingdom Hearts 4 will feature any established Final Fantasy characters.
Kingdom Hearts 3 completely omitted all Final Fantasy characters from the game, relying entirely on Disney characters and original creations. A DLC was later released featuring many members of the established cast who came from previous Square-Enix titles.
It’s unclear whether that decision in Kingdom Hearts 3 was the start of a shift within series conventions or a one-off experiment. Fans will likely find out as time goes on and more trailers drop.
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