After confirming that new projects were in development to prepare for the 20th anniversary, Tetsuya Nomura confirmed the Kingdom Hearts team is working on something new. Obviously that led many fans to suspect the next entry in Square Enix's iconic Disney-Final Fantasy crossover would release in 2022, which isn't wholly unlikely. Granted, the Kingdom Hearts series has had a penchant for developing spin-off games before mainline entries in the past, with the most recent example being Melody of Memory. However, the possibility of the next game being a mainline entry is even futher bolstered now more than ever, thanks to "Project Oath."
The Project Oath title was just a portion of a larger Square Enix leak from April 2020, which seemingly hinted at several upcoming projects from the publisher. Among a collection of release windows for titles like Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part Two, Nier: Replicant, and Life is Strange 3, there were several as-of-yet unannounced projects. There were two for the Kingdom Hearts franchise: Kingdom Hearts Project OATH, as well as an untitled project with no release date/window given. At the time, the leak was largely waved off because of details like "Unreal Engine 5," which at the time didn't officially exist, but a lot has changed since that initially leaked list came out.
Circumstantial Evidence of Project Oath's Existence
Many were quick to write off this leak initially, mostly because there was virtually no evidence at the time to back up any of the claims. The whole list had detailed advance release windows for numerous games in Square Enix's upcoming publishing slate, many of which haven't been announced yet (and still remain unannounced). However, there are now two very specific portions of this leak that have been definitively confirmed, as well as some arguable details that could also be linked to subsequent reveals.
The first of which was an overarching detail for several of the games on the leaked list, and was a key factor in why this leak was initially downplayed when discovered. Many of these games listed a specific game engine alongside game titles and release windows; several projects in the leaked list were allegedly being developed on "Unreal Engine 5," a game development engine that had not been revealed yet. However, just a month after that leaked list was posted on Reddit, Epic Games partnered with Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest to unveil the fifth iteration of the Unreal Engine. Even the "untitled" Kingdom Hearts project may be developed with Unreal Engine 5.
However, Unreal Engine 5 isn't the only tangible proof as of recently. This leak also had "Life is Strange 3 Graphic Adventure" listed as well, with a follow-up note detailing several vague details that coincidentally match up with the unveiled Life is Strange: True Colors. According to the leak, this new Life is Strange game was going to be "the sad story of a boy and girl with a distinctive mind power," that being Alex's empathetic mind-reading abilities in True Colors. Additionally, the note also states that "both are bisex," potentially relating to the sexuality of Alex and her brother Gabe. Since Alex has two love interests in True Colors, Ryan and Steph, that lines up as well.
There was also a note on two "New IP," which could theoretically be referencing Project Athia/Forspoken, but there's no way to confirm that. Again, this could all be highly coincidental, as with any supposed leak that hasn't been affirmed by another source. However, these coincidences could be very important in determining whether or not this Project Oath title could potentially be coming on Kingdom Hearts' 20th anniversary.
Additional Project Oath Hints with Development Changes
Project Oath may not necessarily be developed on Unreal Engine 5, but the fact that several circumstantial details line up with other recently announced games means there's a chance this leak could be real. It is worth noting that Project Oath's theoretical development time could potentially line-up with the release window of "Q1 2022," as described in the leak. Tetsuya Nomura announced earlier this year that he was no longer the director on Final Fantasy 7 Remake, so it's very possible he's returning to directing the Kingdom Hearts series. Then again, Nomura did also mention he's working on several Final Fantasy projects, so that may not necessarily be true.
Under the basis that he is stepping down to a creative role to focus on Kingdom Hearts, Project Oath as an interlude to that "untitled" Kingdom Hearts project could make sense. According to the leak, that untitled Kingdom Hearts game is being developed on Unreal Engine 5 as well, despite Oath being listed as "Unreal Engine 4" in that same leak. Considering how Square Enix and the Kingdom Hearts development teams have handled spin-offs in the past, Project Oath could fulfill the same role Dream Drop Distance did for Kingdom Hearts 3. Pair that with Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory's ending, and the "world of fiction" will sound awfully familiar.
The Narrative Setup For a Project Oath Interlude
From a narrative perspective, an interlude with Kingdom Hearts' Project Oath could help clear some narrative gaps on the way to a potential Kingdom Hearts 4. Kingdom Hearts Union X [Cross] has already been building off Melody of Memory's hints of a "world of fiction," potentially hinting at Quadratum's connection to the Master of Masters. Kingdom Hearts 3's secret ending already seemingly confirms that the Master is there with Sora and Riku. Plus, Melody of Memory confirmed that Quadratum is indeed where Sora is. Hypothetically speaking, Project Oath could tell the story of Quadratum as a set up for a new Kingdom Hearts saga involving the Master of Masters.
That being said, the potential is certainly there for Project Oath, as well as a possible lead-in to the next mainline Kingdom Hearts game. Again, any of the harder evidence regarding Project Oath's existence is largely circumstantial, so it's hard to say whether or not that portion of the Square Enix leak from April 2020 is true. It is rather compelling that details like Unreal Engine 5 and Life is Strange: True Colors' premise did run parallel with the details in the Reddit leak. Depending on how some of the other leaked details shake out (Tomb Raider "Eclipse," Babylon's Fall in 2021, etc.), perhaps Project Oath may actually be ready for Kingdom Hearts' 20th anniversary.
AÂ Kingdom Hearts project is currently in development.