If you were to randomly quiz any JPRG-loving (or Disney-loving) gamer about what they’re most looking forward to going into 2024, chances are Kingdom Hearts 4 would eventually appear on their list.
Kingdom Hearts 4 was officially announced with one banger of a trailer in April 2022, and then … nothing. Square Enix—rather understandably—instead focused their advertising energies on more imminent blockbusters like Final Fantasy 16, then Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. But once Rebirth hits on Leap Day 2024, and we have all fully basked in the glorious sexual tension between Cloud and Sephiroth, Kingdom Hearts 4 appears to be Square Enix’s next Big Game.
So what do we know? The answer is, unfortunately, almost nothing—which brings us to another question: What do we think we know? A-ha! Conjecture, here we come.
What worlds will be in KH4, or: STAR WARS?!
When someone asks about what worlds will be in Kingdom Hearts 4, we have all understood that to be a shorthand for either, “Will Star Wars be in Kingdom Hearts 4?” or “Will Marvel be in Kingdom Hearts 4?” Or both.
The only world we know for sure will be in Kingdom Hearts 4 is Quadratum, the location shown in the trailer. Quadratum is simply just a very, very close riff on the real-world Shibuya (where’s my Persona 5 gang?) in Tokyo. To offer as spoiler-free version as possible, Sora, Goofy, and Donald end up in Quadratum at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3 and its DLC, Re Code. Then, naturally, Sora gets separated from his uncles, which brings us to the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer.
Every world appearance outside of Quadratum is pure speculation. Given Disney’s accumulation of Star Wars, Marvel, and the Muppets (in descending order of recency) within the last twenty years, anything’s possible. There’s certainly been a lot of desire expressed online for a world based on Star Wars or Marvel.
And, I mean—Star Wars, yes. Get Sora, Goofy, and Donald X-wings, pronto. But given the ever-increasing specter of Marvel fatigue especially, I ask you this: Why in the hell is everyone not clamoring for a world based on Muppet Studios?! I need Miss Piggy in my party, and I need her now.
But given that Kingdom Hearts 3 started pre-production in 2005 and was announced in 2013, we have at least an entire decade of hitherto unconsidered Disney films that could turn into worlds. I’m talking Coco. I’m talking Moana. I’m talking Encanto. Zootopia, Inside Out. Let’s freaking go.
What will be new in Kindom Hearts 4?
Almost every Kingdom Hearts fan—even casual ones—felt their jaw drop during the reveal of Kingdom Hearts 4′s first trailer. Aside from the fact that a beloved franchise went totally silent for about three years, there’s an obvious huge shift in the KH4 trailer: the art style. Gone are Sora’s cartoony looks, with his goofy smile and big ol’ feet.
The trailer instead shows off a much more realistic art style, which looks more like recent Final Fantasy games than any previous Kingdom Hearts game. It’s possible this shift is specific to Quadratum, but considering that Sora’s art style in Kingdom Hearts 3 stayed consistent when he visited this world, it seems that KH4 is going in a new direction, period.
That new direction isn’t just limited to the art style. Sora’s parkour skills, which were slowly unleashed in Kingdom Hearts 3, have clearly reached new heights. The game is also combining this with some kind of reaction command, which harkens back to Kingdom Hearts 2 but is also heavily reminiscent of Final Fantasy 16.
In fact, the way Sora’s fight against the giant Heartless is choreographed echoes the giant, epic, highly choreographed battles of Final Fantasy 16.
What platform will KH4 be on?
Square Enix has a habit of releasing their big blockbusters—namely, Final Fantasy and the mainline Kingdom Hearts games—as PlayStation exclusives. The fact that you can now play Kingdom Hearts – HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX and Kingdom Hearts 3 on the Nintendo Switch is something just short of a miracle. The fact that Kingdom Hearts was a PlayStation exclusive is why I couldn’t play the games at their original release. It is a source of much reckoning.
Square Enix only released the Kingdom Hearts collection on Switch in 2022—about two months before they dropped the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer. You could see that as a sign that Square Enix intends to make KH4 more widely available. Or you could see it as incredibly good marketing which got Kingdom Hearts back into the minds of the public ahead of the new trailer’s release. Sadly, Square Enix’s reasoning is likely the latter.
As much as a multi-platform release of Kingdom Hearts 4 would be incredible, I could brace for it to be a PlayStation 5 exclusive, just like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Final Fantasy 16.
Maybe it will be released for Nintendo’s apparently incoming Switch successor down the road. Years down the road.
When will Kingdom Hearts 4 come out?
Very notably, the 2022 trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 lacks a commitment to any kind of timeline. Many game journalists and critics have taken to spectating that KH4 will likely come out in the first or second quarter of 2025—which seems likely. A few optimists have said a late 2024 release is possible, but I personally won’t be holding my breath.
On the bright side, it’s almost guaranteed that we will get more information about Kingdom Hearts 4 later this year, once the hype for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth dies down and Square Enix starts looking around at their next major releases. A big new trailer for Rebirth debuted at Summer Game Fest last year, and it’s quite possible Square Enix will want to keep the new show’s spotlight on them with one hell of a followup.
(featured image: Square Enix)
