Square Enix is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the beloved Kingdom Hearts franchise and as expected, we were supposed to take a look at the next entry, Kingdom Hearts 4. Fans were treated to a three-minute surrealistic and visually stunning trailer featuring Sora. Kingdom Hearts 4's platform hasn't been announced by Square Enix, but it will likely be on PlayStation 5, PC, and perhaps Xbox Series X|S. Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently being built with Unreal Engine 4, but the team has announced that they are preparing to switch to the newly released and more powerful, Unreal Engine 5. Watch the trailer below at 7.48.
The next mainline Kingdom Hearts game, Kingdom Hearts 4, is now in development, Square Enix announced on Sunday during a 20th anniversary livestream for the franchise. A new trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 confirms the return of Sora, Donald and Goofy for a new adventure, and what Square Enix calls "an epic new story" called the "Lost Master Arc".
The first trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 introduces Quadratum, which is described by Square Enix as "a sprawling city set in a grand, realistic world that looks a lot like Tokyo in the Kingdom Hearts series". had never been seen before." The trailer also introduces Kingdom Hearts fans to a new character, Strelitzia.
Square Enix did not announce a release date or platform for Kingdom Hearts 4.
The first screenshots of the new Kingdom Hearts are in the gallery below.
Square Enix also announced a separate game, Kingdom Hearts Missing Link, in development for Android and iOS devices. The mobile game features adventures set in the world of Scala Ed Callum from Kingdom Hearts 3 and battles against the Heartless. Kingdom Hearts Missing Link will have a new, original story, Square Enix says, but will almost certainly tie into the story of Kingdom Hearts 4. Kingdom Hearts Missing Link doesn't have a release date, but a closed beta test is scheduled for the game. for 2022.
Kingdom Hearts 3 was released in 2019 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and later came to Windows PC in 2021 and Nintendo Switch earlier this year. The third main game in the franchise attempted to combine years of complex storytelling from several spinoffs and side stories, featuring the protagonists Sora, Riku, and Kairi, and dozens of Disney characters who fought alongside them over the past two decades.
In Square Enix's announcement for Kingdom Hearts 4, Ichiro Hazama, the series' brand manager, said, "We would like to thank the fans for their support over the years, and we would like to thank them for experiencing all that has come for Sora." Can't wait."
"We are honored to have worked with Tetsuya Nomura and his team for two decades to present these original stories of discovery, adventure and friendship," said Nana Gad, director of Walt Disney Games. "This glimpse into Sora's next adventure is just the beginning - we can't wait to reveal more when the time is right."