Square Enix and Disney are not prepared to call it quits on their RPG franchise, this evening confirming that Kingdom Hearts IV is in active development. Unveiled as part of the Kingdom Hearts franchises 20th anniversary celebrations in Tokyo, Japan, the next flagship instalment in the franchise is pitched as being in “early development”, with no information on platforms, release date, or anything along those lines. Hopefully the wait is nowhere near as long as the two-console generation gap between KHII and KHIII.
While fans are left waiting a bit longer for further news on Kingdom Hearts IV, Square Enix and Disney did share this below teaser trailer. In the announcement trailer, Sora makes a return with an updated look at the beginning of an new storyline titled the “Lost Master Arc.” Beginning with Sora facing off in a boss battle against a giant enemy, players are introduced to the Quadratum, a large, expansive, realistic city quite unlike anything offered in the series before. It has been confirmed that fans will se the return of both Donald and Goofy, in addition to the first appearance of Strelitzia, a mysterious new character who appears before Sora in this strange new setting.
It was also confirmed that Square Enix and Disney would be collaborating on a new mobile game titled KINGDOM HEARTS Missing-Link. In development for iOS and Android devices, players can embark on “from the realm of Scala ad Caelum into the real world. Players will be able to engage in exhilarating battles against the Heartless and discover a new, original story”. No official release date has been confirmed, but there are plans for a 2022 closed beta test.
We’re thrilled to celebrate the series’ 20th anniversary with the announcement of two new KINGDOM HEARTS titles. We’d like to thank the fans for all of their support over the years, and we can’t wait for them to experience all that’s to come for Sora.
Ichiro Hazama – Brand Director of the KINGDOM HEARTS series
Sora is an original Disney video game hero like no other, beloved by our team, and fans across the world. We’ve been honored to work with Tetsuya Nomura and his team for two decades to introduce these original stories of discovery, courage, and friendship. This glimpse into Sora’s next adventure is just the beginning – we can’t wait to show more when the time is right.
Nana Gadd – Director of Walt Disney Games
