Kingdom Hearts 4 is one of the most anticipated games currently in development. The game was announced during the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary Event in April 2022, to the surprise of the series' many fans. Those in attendance were treated to a short teaser trailer, which was later posted by developer Square Enix online. However, Square Enix has not revealed anything further about Kingdom Hearts 4 in the time since leading many fans to already become frustrated with the title. This turn of events is reminiscent of a similar issue, following Kingdom Hearts 3's first reveal. Despite rewarding diehard fans with a shocking announcement, Kingdom Hearts 4's reveal already sees the title repeating the mistakes of Kingdom Hearts 3.
In Kingdom Hearts 4, Sora finds himself in the world of Quadratum, following the events of Kingdom Hearts 3: ReMind. The trailer immediately caught the attention of gamers worldwide, as its graphics depicted a much more realistic environment, as well as updated, less cartoony, proportions for Sora and Strelitzia. While the trailer did not depict any of the worlds Sora will be traveling to, it did feature the return of the Heartless. Despite being announced over a year ago, the reveal trailer remains the only source of information for Kingdom Hearts 4.
Kingdom Hearts 3 Fans Endured Massive Wait
Kingdom Hearts 3 was announced at Sony's E3 2013 Press Conference, alongside Final Fantasy 15. Fans of Square Enix were stunned when sequels to two of its biggest franchises were announced for the PS4. Kingdom Hearts fans, in particular, relished the announcements, as the series had released a host of spin-offs and remasters in the time since Kingdom Hearts 2 was released for the PS2. Despite the teaser being mere seconds long, and announcing the title to be "In Development", anticipation for Kingdom Hearts 3 was unrivaled.
Unfortunately, fan anticipation for Kingdom Hearts 3 became a burden, rather than a shared celebration, as the title experienced various developmental changes followed by long droughts of silence from Square Enix. When Kingdom Hearts 3 was finally released in January 2019, fans had endured nearly six years of waiting, and the title bared little resemblance to its first teaser's style and tone. The long period of anticipation led many fans to feel disappointed in the end product, citing myriad storyline issues, failure to tie up major loose ends, and an overall tone that was far more childish than previous entries and spin-offs.
Kingdom Hearts 4's Reveal Appears to Repeat KH3's First Mistake
Kingdom Hearts 4's reveal was an unexpected gift to longtime fans, leading to immense anticipation among the larger fanbase. The reveal came only 3 years after Kingdom Hearts 3 was released, which is shocking when compared to the 14-year gap between the release of Kingdom Hearts 2 and KH3's own announcement. However, just as it did for Kingdom Hearts 3, developer Square Enix has followed the announcement of Kingdom Hearts 4 with a period of absolute silence. This has left fans in an awkward and familiar place, leading some to fear that Kingdom Hearts 4, like its predecessor, was announced far too early.
With Kingdom Hearts 4 seemingly repeating the developer's previous mistakes, fans could be set to endure an incredibly long wait for the game's release. Over a year after its reveal, no details about the title's worlds, story, or release have been given the smallest hint. Perhaps the biggest issue with this situation is that it opens Kingdom Hearts 4 up to other problems that its predecessor faced, such as the impossibility to meet the expectations of such a long wait. Time will tell whether Kingdom Hearts 4's development period can avoid its predecessor's mistakes, but without more consistent and realistic expectations from Square Enix, fans are left to blindly speculate what the title's eventual release will entail.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently in development.