Summary
- Square Enix has confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 development is ongoing.
- The studio has reassured fans that it is "hard at work" on Kingdom Hearts 4 and that the franchise will continue.
- This reassurance comes in the wake of Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link's cancellation.
Square Enix has given a brief update on Kingdom Hearts 4, the next game in the long-running action-RPG series. Kingdom Hearts 4 was first announced in April 2022. Since then, updates on the game have been few and far between, with fans still having no idea when exactly they will be able to play it.
While some Kingdom Hearts 4 gameplay details have been revealed, the game is still mostly shrouded in mystery. Fans know that Kingdom Hearts 4 will feature Shibuya and will once again star longtime series hero Sora as the main protagonist, but otherwise, not a lot is known about the game. We still have no idea when Kingdom Hearts 4 will be shown off next, but Square Enix has at least acknowledged the game recently.
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Tucked away at the bottom of its announcement confirming the Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link mobile game cancellation, Square Enix promised fans that the Kingdom Hearts series will continue. It added that the studio is "hard at work" on Kingdom Hearts 4 and asked fans to "keep an eye out for further updates." While this isn't likely to drum up much excitement, it is at least reassuring that Kingdom Hearts 4 development is still going strong. The relative silence about the game has understandably left some fans worried about the project, but it doesn't seem as though they have any cause for concern.
Square Enix is 'Hard at Work' on Kingdom Hearts 4
Concern for Kingdom Hearts 4 has only increased in the wake of Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link's cancellation. While main series fans likely weren't all that interested in the mobile game spin-off anyway, Missing-Link's connections to Kingdom Hearts 4 has caused worry that its cancellation isn't a good omen for the new game. The two games were meant to have character and story ties to each other, but it seems those plans have been scrapped.
Some Kingdom Hearts fans may even look at Missing-Link's cancellation as a good thing. The Kingdom Hearts franchise has long been criticized for having important story developments take place in spin-off games and handheld titles, as opposed to the main series console entries. Some would have felt compelled to play the mobile game to fully appreciate Kingdom Hearts 4, but that will no longer be necessary with Missing-Link's cancellation.
We know that Kingdom Hearts 4 development started in 2020, so the project has been in the works for at least five years at this point. Unless there have been some serious behind-the-scenes development struggles, one has to imagine that a more substantial update on Kingdom Hearts 4 will come sooner rather than later. It's possible the game will be featured at Summer Game Fest this June, but fans should keep their expectations in check.
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Kingdom Hearts
