Highlights
- Kingdom Hearts 4 has been relatively silent since its announcement, with focus shifting to the mobile game Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link. Fans can expect some relevant characters from Missing-Link to appear in KH4.
- Square Enix has a history of long delays with its larger projects, including Kingdom Hearts. Still, with no other Kingdom Hearts titles announced beyond Missing-Link, fans can hope for more news on KH4 in 2024.
- When Kingdom Hearts 4 does return to the spotlight, fans can expect a strong marketing campaign with trailers, gameplay footage, world reveals, and story hints. The game may appear in presentations and conventions throughout 2024, leading up to its expected release in early 2025.
It's been some time since fans of Square Enix and Disney's star crossover series have heard from Kingdom Hearts 4. Since its announcement as part of the series’ 20th anniversary celebration in April 2022, the game has gone dark, with focus mostly shifting over to the mobile title Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link. As Missing-Link entered the year during a round of beta testing, it's likely approaching its full launch sometime in 2024. Kingdom Hearts 4 will apparently share some relevant characters with the game, so mainline KH fans can at least look forward to that.
Of course, whether Kingdom Hearts 4 will be active at all in 2024 is another question, especially considering the KH release traditions that are already broken. Square Enix's larger projects have built up a reputation over the past decade of disappearing for years after their announcement, and KH3 itself is guilty of this. No other upcoming Kingdom Hearts titles have been announced or rumored to come first, so Missing-Link and Kingdom Hearts 4 are all that fans have to look forward to, and only the former has a public presence. However, if KH4's development is going smoothly, then it may do more than just resurface in 2024.
Kingdom Hearts 4: The Case for a Soft Reboot of the Franchise
Focused on a separate setting from the series’ norm, Kingdom Hearts 4 has the chance to clean up some of its story’s clutter.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Might Break Its Silence In 2024
The release of Kingdom Hearts 4 in 2024 is far-fetched, but it could be closer than fans realize. Several statements made throughout 2020 imply that at least KH4’s planning started around that time. Of note was KH series director Tetsuya Nomura discussing the KH3 ReMind secret boss Yozora's future in a September NME interview, and telling Destructoid in the same month that:
“Right now, we are in the process of discussing our future plans within Square Enix and with Disney and nothing has been set in stone, but I do have some concepts percolating in my head.”
Accounting for Kingdom Hearts 3’s early switch from Square Enix’s Luminous Engine to Unreal Engine 4, and Kingdom Hearts 4 taking the smoother leap from Unreal Engine 4 to 5, a late 2020 start means KH4 might be ready for Winter 2024 at the earliest. This accounts for the game's likely-large scope, though beginning development mid-pandemic would slow it considerably on top of the constant communication needed with Disney. Still, assuming no major setbacks, a 2025 launch is feasible. If that's the case, then fans should expect to hear much more from Kingdom Hearts 4 as 2024 moves on.
When It Returns, Kingdom Hearts 4 Is Going Loud
Kingdom Hearts 4 trailers could appear in 2024 as early as an April State of Play presentation, but are more likely to begin in June at the Summer Game Fest kickoff. Square Enix typically uses a back-loaded marketing strategy, meaning when Kingdom Hearts 4 has more news prepared, announcements will keep coming till the game is out. Gamescom, Tokyo Game Show, a potential PlayStation Showcase, The Game Awards, and every smaller convention or trade show in between could all have KH4 trailers, and even arrange closed previews and hands-on demos across that time.
Assuming Kingdom Hearts 4 will release in the first quarter of 2025 means a lot of its marketing should line up with Kingdom Hearts 3 and both Final Fantasy 7 Remake entries, which had similar launch dates and lead-ups. That means plenty of gameplay footage, world reveals, and story hints will crop up with every trailer, and a launch window should be set early on. If a Marvel or Star Wars world features in KH4, they should also underscore an earlier trailer. As long as Kingdom Hearts 4 doesn't repeat the mistakes Kingdom Hearts 3 made in its lead-up to launch, fans should have a lot to look forward to in 2024, regardless of when the game arrives.
Kingdom Hearts 4
- Franchise
- Kingdom Hearts
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , Xbox Series X|S
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
