When are we expecting news?

[Launchpad]

At this rate we can expect a superboss that's cooler than Dark Inferno at least. Post-game shit will probably be the best in the series, at least as far as base-game KH titles go.

 

[Chaser]

if they making us wait till 2026 they should at least give us something like bbs 0.2 or UX remake for consoles...

I did wonder briefly of MoM’s absence from steam was because of a new collection with that, a KH4 prologue, and a UX movie but that thought went as quickly as it came.

 

[Liodin]

Midori is starting to give a lot of information about many games, and I don't know to what extent her sources are becoming questionable, because I don't think she is lying, just that her sources are speculating.

I mean, 2026 is the safest bet without being unrealistic.

But even with the pandemic... KH3 lost a year and a half of development, minimum, with the change of engine, so the game was developed in 4 years. Like, is KH4 going to blow our minds? Is every Disney world going to be like it's own game? Because if I try to be optimistic, that's what it feels like. It would be the natural evolution after what we had in KH3, I think.

I just hope Missing Link comes out soon and that the updates are regular enough, so the wait would be much more enjoyable for me.

Edit:
Well, and on top of that they made 2.8 while developing 3 in those 4 years.

 

[xenosaga]

I wouldn't expect anything other than Missing-Link and Switch 2 native collection until KH4.

 

[Launchpad]

My only major gripe with this news is that we'll have more than enough time for KH3's trailers-as-entertainment model to return from the grave

 

[Forsaken Shadow]

"More information about the future of the series"? I hope it isn't bad like Kh4 is the last title or something :/

 

[MATGSY]

In other news, who's also excited for the new Power Rangers game (because they're in their mid to late thirties)?!

NGL, part of me rolled my eyes at the "Go back to the beginning" part of the trailer because that's all PR ever does. Call me when Time Force or RPM get a game.

 

[HakaishinChampa]

Depending on when it releases in 2026, we might not get news until mid-late 2025 or early 2026

Welp, at least there's other games in the meanwhile

I get that Nomura wanted to avoid it getting leaked but we already knew KH4 was going to come out one day, I think it would've been better if we didn't get a trailer

 

[Darkspawn]

My guess is a mix of Covid and UE5 issues is why it is taking so long. While there are more and more UE5 games releasing, I do not put it past Nomura to want to really use the engine to its fullest extent possible. And a lot of the issues with UE5 were with those newer/more advanced features I believe.

The game probably is going to be one of the most technically impressive of this gen as a result. But it does suck that we are probably only getting one console game this generation. They need to port Missing Link to PC next year or something for the interim. 6 years is a long time to not release a console game in a franchise like this. But it will probably just be the Switch successor ports. (Even though I hope h.a.n.d. may still be developing something since they’ve been quiet since NEO:TWEWY.)

But I appreciate that we at least have a window now from someone with a good track record. Still worth a grain of salt as the sources could be speculating or feeding incorrect info. But I think 2026 is a realistic expectation regardless at this point.

When she says it “looks different” it is giving the vibe of more than just graphical upgrades. I think we need to consider that there really were some major changes to the story or visual direction, if not both.

I am also concerned about the state of SE for 2025, but we also have to remember they operate on the fiscal year. Dawntrail, Visions of Mana, and potentially FFIX are probably their biggest releases this fiscal year that ends March 2025. While the rest of calendar year 2025 may be light, KH4 could release January-March 2026 and still count toward the fiscal year ending March 2026.

 

[the red monster]

"More information about the future of the series"? I hope it isn't bad like Kh4 is the last title or something :/

as long as the series sells good, disney wont let it end. plus square needs kingdom hearts more than ever because FF keep selling less and less.

 

[Squood!]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1799466799244947913

2026, apparently

edit: Sorry, was feelin depressed earlier.

It's an expected release window so it could be changed to earlier or later.

Or it could be 2026 cuz of...ugh...GTA.

 

[Liodin]

When she says it “looks different” it is giving the vibe of more than just graphical upgrades. I think we need to consider that there really were some major changes to the story or visual direction, if not both.

In the trailer we didn't see enough story or gameplay for a leaker to claim that much has changed.

As for the graphics, I suspect that what this person saw was a Disney world and not Quadratum.

 

[MATGSY]

as long as the series sells good, disney wont let it end. plus square needs kingdom hearts more than ever because FF keep selling less and less.

TBH, I can kinda see the possibility. Successful or not, Square doesn't get to keep all of the money from sales because Disney's gotta get their share, development is always gonna be held up on waiting on Disney's approval, & it's still a smaller franchise than FF overall. With the new president re-evaluating priorities, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of them deciding KH ain't worth it anymore.

 

[Darkspawn]

In the trailer we didn't see enough story or gameplay for a leaker to claim that much has changed.

As for the graphics, I suspect that what this person saw was a Disney world and not Quadratum.

I don’t really agree with that. For all we know, Quadratum could have been completely reworked. There could be new character models. Reworked graphic shaders. Star Wars may have been cut. Maybe they decided to move away from the realistic visuals. There’s really no telling until we see it again.

Between this and Nomura’s comment about the direction of the series changing, it could be a bigger change than just graphics.

Depending what her source is, there could be some marketing coming soon. That’s often where these leaks come from. Maybe they do something like they did with Rebirth in 2022 where they confirmed it for “next winter.”

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Midori is starting to give a lot of information about many games, and I don't know to what extent her sources are becoming questionable, because I don't think she is lying, just that her sources are speculating.

I mean, 2026 is the safest bet without being unrealistic.

But even with the pandemic... KH3 lost a year and a half of development, minimum, with the change of engine, so the game was developed in 4 years. Like, is KH4 going to blow our minds? Is every Disney world going to be like it's own game? Because if I try to be optimistic, that's what it feels like. It would be the natural evolution after what we had in KH3, I think.

I just hope Missing Link comes out soon and that the updates are regular enough, so the wait would be much more enjoyable for me.

Edit:
Well, and on top of that they made 2.8 while developing 3 in those 4 years.

It’s not speculation.

 

[Liodin]

It’s not speculation.

Wait, do you know something? Or is it because you trust Midori and their sources?

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Wait, do you know something? Or is it because you trust Midori and their sources?

I’m just a sad girl

 

[the red monster]

it's still a smaller franchise than FF overall.

see, this is where i think you're wrong. the last couple of FF games sold ok at best. since XV, the series fell kinda hard from the mainstream audience. i'm not saying KH is bigger but i do think they're on almost the same spot. IIRC, VIIR and KH3 sold the same amount.

 

[Disney Adventurer]

"More information about the future of the series"? I hope it isn't bad like Kh4 is the last title or something :/

Pretty sure that won’t be the case when KH IV's been touted as the beginning of The Lost Master Arc

 

[Launchpad]

I'll be site staff by the time KH4 is out, and I won't be too nice to some of you BBS fans!