Kingdom Hearts 4 remains one of the most anticipated games in recent memory. The latest installment in the popular crossover franchise between Square Enix’s Final Fantasy franchise and the popular worlds of Disney, Kingdom Hearts 4 is set to serve as the beginning of a brand-new chronology in the series, kicking off the “Lost Master” story arc. First announced back in 2022, fans have waited with bated breath to see where Square Enix would go next with this unique crossover franchise, as the publisher has been increasingly mum on the new title.
The Kingdom Hearts franchise is no stranger to keeping fans waiting a long time. 2019's Kingdom Hearts 3 was released 14 years after the previous numbered entry, Kingdom Hearts 2. Thus, on paper, the wait for Kingdom Hearts 4 has certainly not been as long as the wait for the franchise’s previous mainline entry. Nevertheless, the wait for this new release does feel noticeably different than the wait for the predecessor, and it’s clear to see how fan impatience has grown even with a considerably shorter time gap.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Makes a Strong Case for Kingdom Hearts Including Non-Square Enix RPGs
If Kingdom Hearts ever needed a reason to include games other than those of Square Enix RPGs, then Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 would be the best one.
Kingdom Hearts 4's Wait Has Created Some Impatience
Kingdom Hearts Hasn’t Received As Many Spin-Offs In The Wait Between Mainline Games
Part of the reason the wait for Kingdom Hearts 4 feels so much different than the wait for Kingdom Hearts 3 is because of the sheer lack of titles that have been released in the franchise. During the nearly decade-and-a-half wait for Kingdom Hearts 3 following its predecessor’s release, Square Enix kept itself busy by releasing several spinoff titles in the franchise. What's more, these games were canon to the franchise's overall story, meaning it was still important for fans to play them in the lead-up to Kingdom Hearts 3.
During the wait for Kingdom Hearts 4, however, the franchise has only seen releases in the form of the rhythm spinoff Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, as well as the delisted mobile game Kingdom Hearts Dark Road. Sadly, another Kingdom Hearts title, Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, has recently been canceled, meaning fans of the franchise have one less game to play. Square Enix has barely offered Kingdom Hearts fans anything new during the wait for Kingdom Hearts 4, making the game’s frequent absence all the more apparent.
Square Enix Has Been Incredibly Mum On Kingdom Hearts 4
Another factor that makes the wait for Kingdom Hearts 4 feel so different from the wait for Kingdom Hearts 3 comes in Square Enix’s near-complete silence on this new title. While Kingdom Hearts 3 was released well over a decade after Kingdom Hearts 2, Square hadn’t left fans waiting in quite the same way, as the game wasn't formally announced until 2013. While it would take six years after this to officially release, Square Enix continued to drip-feed fans footage of the game until the publisher was ready to do a full reveal.
Kingdom Hearts 4 has not been afforded anywhere near the same luxury. The game was announced in 2022 with some very light gameplay footage, but ever since, the most that fans have gotten to see of this new game has been a few screenshots only just released in May 2025. Even though the game has presumably been in development for several years now, Square Enix has barely shown fans any footage of this title, making the wait feel just as frustrating as that of Kingdom Hearts 3’s despite this game’s release gap being noticeably shorter.
Kingdom Hearts 4's wait feels so different from the wait for Kingdom Hearts 3 in part due to Square Enix’s near-complete silence.
Square Enix Hasn’t Been Able To Make Old Kingdom Hearts Feel New Again
Additionally, while fans were waiting for the release of Kingdom Hearts 3, Square Enix was able to keep them satiated with a bevy of re-release collections featuring the previous titles. These remaster collections were also great options for the hardcore fans, as they saw the previously Japan-only Final Mix versions of several Kingdom Hearts titles localized for the first time. During the gap between Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts 4, however, Square has only been able to port these collections to other platforms, and while that can bring in new fans, it means the publisher has less to offer to hardcore fans waiting for the fourth numbered entry.
Thus far, Square Enix has struggled to manage fan expectations in the lead-up to Kingdom Hearts 4. Of course, game development takes an incredibly long time (especially for Square Enix’s titles), but the publisher has not helped its case with its extreme radio silence on Kingdom Hearts 4, especially compared to the way it handled the marketing of Kingdom Hearts 3 in the wake of that game’s long development cycle. Here's hoping Square Enix can deliver more Kingdom Hearts 4 goodness to the longtime fans who have waited so long for this new game.
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Kingdom Hearts
