When are we expecting news?

[Chie]

The concept changing maybe shouldn't be that huge a surprise given that the concept of kh4 would seem to be "an entire game about how square enix, who i am still working for and is publishing this game, forbid me from speaking the name of my game they cancelled out loud for 10 years". Like, I was shocked he was doing this in the first place, maybe him saying "this has nothing to do with versus xiii" in interviews wasn't enough to protect him

 

[MATGSY]

Really, they should like already be working on KH5 at this point. Like Activision never has just 1 CoD in the works at any given point, but 3 or more at different stages of development. Back in the day FF9/10/11 were all in development all at once. KH can not just be 1 game at a time, they should've started KH4 halfway through KH3's development.

 

[Launchpad]

The concept changing maybe shouldn't be that huge a surprise given that the concept of kh4 would seem to be "an entire game about how square enix, who i am still working for and is publishing this game, forbid me from speaking the name of my game they cancelled out loud for 10 years". Like, I was shocked he was doing this in the first place, maybe him saying "this has nothing to do with versus xiii" in interviews wasn't enough to protect him

Luckily the angry Versus XIII stuff isn't the only running thread in the story, with Xiggy and the Zoo Pals picking up the slack where the more meta stuff might be lacking

 

[Liodin]

I’m just a sad girl

Are you... a source?
We won't tell anyone

Luminary is always saying things, maybe he knows something too

Whoever here is an insider, raise your hand!

 

[bambii (aka foreteller)]

Really, they should like already be working on KH5 at this point. Like Activision never has just 1 CoD in the works at any given point, but 3 or more at different stages of development. Back in the day FF9/10/11 were all in development all at once. KH can not just be 1 game at a time, they should've started KH4 halfway through KH3's development.

Or, follow the FF7R model. Iterative back-to-back development. Idk why the KH team feels they have to reinvent the wheel each time (though I’m sure they have their reasons). I’m hoping this is the kind of thing we’ll hear about “the future of the series,” similar to when we got that FF7R trilogy confirmation a couple years back. If they can say something like “The Lost Masters Arc will be a trilogy of KH4, KH5, and KH6” that will build on the foundation of KH4, 2026 release would sting a lot less.

 

[Darkspawn]

The concept changing maybe shouldn't be that huge a surprise given that the concept of kh4 would seem to be "an entire game about how square enix, who i am still working for and is publishing this game, forbid me from speaking the name of my game they cancelled out loud for 10 years". Like, I was shocked he was doing this in the first place, maybe him saying "this has nothing to do with versus xiii" in interviews wasn't enough to protect him

Reynatis existing supports that this is what happened too. Would not be surprised if they are pivoting back towards the Foretellers and away from Verum Rex.

I wonder if SE may also be pushing for more FF inclusion. Some AAA studios have mentioned wanting to move away from licensed games because they don’t get as much profit as their own IPs. I don’t think they’d give up on KH entirely, but using it to plug their own IPs again would be a good middle ground.

Really, they should like already be working on KH5 at this point. Like Activision never has just 1 CoD in the works at any given point, but 3 or more at different stages of development. Back in the day FF9/10/11 were all in development all at once. KH can not just be 1 game at a time, they should've started KH4 halfway through KH3's development.

I’m still hoping Kitase’s new creative studio is for KH. It’s mostly like either that or a secondary FF studio.

Are you... a source?
We won't tell anyone

Luminary is always saying things, maybe he knows something too

Whoever here is an insider, raise your hand!

I’m just chronically online.

I am hoping Nomura will release a statement Friday when the Steam ports release and maybe that will give us a KH4 update.

 

[Squood!]

Really, they should like already be working on KH5 at this point. Like Activision never has just 1 CoD in the works at any given point, but 3 or more at different stages of development. Back in the day FF9/10/11 were all in development all at once. KH can not just be 1 game at a time, they should've started KH4 halfway through KH3's development.

Yeah and the last few CoDs have been mid AF

 

[Squood!]

Yeaaaaah, seein' reactions to the Midori tweet in various places really paints a picture.

Some people are straight up assuming the "It looks different from the first trailer" comment means they started development over again.

 

[SuperNova]

At this point, I'm not even surprised; this dry spell shall continue as Nomura unleashes his salt upon the world.

 

[HakaishinChampa]

If they changed the whole story for KH4, I hope after KH4 releases, someone leaks the original story/build of the game

Would they really just get rid of Yozora after all the teasing from KH3's secret ending and Reminds secret boss?

 

[Muke]

I get the frustration for sure but don‘t we all know more development time just … means a better game? Like it coming out in 2026 just makes me think it‘s gonna be even better. Also I‘d rather them announce it for 2026 and it release IN 2026 than announcing it for 2025 hoping they‘ll make it and then just continuously delaying it

 

[Launchpad]

I get the frustration for sure but don‘t we all know more development time just … means a better game? Like it coming out in 2026 just makes me think it‘s gonna be even better.

This is where I'm at with it. There's substantial evidence that a lot of KH fans can't discern when a game has had less effort put into it, or at the very least are relatively unconcerned with the mechanics and experience of playing the game. They wanna see what is going to happen next and the gameplay is just something they go through to get to the next scene.

But for Gameplay Goobers, a longer dev cycle means a game that should feel silky smooth to play

 

[Darkspawn]

I think KH4 is a make or break game for the franchise, so I’d rather they take their time. While KH3 performed well, it was the finale of the franchise to that point, had a ton of hype leading into it, and Disney was at its peak from the Disney Revival era.

But then KH3 itself was met with mixed response from fans, leaving a lot of fans uninterested in the franchise’s future. Perception of Disney and its associated brands have fallen significantly. The game industry is imploding. SE’s biggest IPs don’t perform nearly as well as they once did. So KH4 is not nearly the surefire success KH3 was.

As a result, there has to be a lot of pressure on this game and the odds are not in its favor. If it doesn’t do well, then it very well could mark the end of the franchise. But if they do things right, it will set them up to release at least a couple more games in relatively faster succession as the series will likely solidify a priority for both SE and Disney.

 

[Squood!]

I get the frustration for sure but don‘t we all know more development time just … means a better game? Like it coming out in 2026 just makes me think it‘s gonna be even better. Also I‘d rather them announce it for 2026 and it release IN 2026 than announcing it for 2025 hoping they‘ll make it and then just continuously delaying it

It's a different story for different games.

Def not a good one for Silksong I'll tell ya that.

 

[Muke]

Nitpicking but if anything I hope they change the logo font again because I just can‘t get used to this new font and I feel like it HEAVILY takes the franchise‘s identity away. It just looks so generic

 

[SuperNova]

If more time means better Disney worlds then I'll just quietly wait in my corner and not pay attention to trailers that will spoil every plot point that the game has to offer. Waiting is just as much part of KH culture as the actual games.

 

[Darkspawn]

Also, I hope DQHD-2D does well and encourages them to make more games like that for their other franchises. I think a 2D game that modernizes the artstyle of CoM would do really well and be relatively cheap to make. It could be a demake of the series, UX remake, or something new.

 

[Darkspawn]

Here’s the Unreal Engine 5 Showcase from today. Some pretty cool looks at what’s possible with the engine.

 

[Phoenix]

Stop changing engines. Stop changing directions. I don't want KH to be the most technically impressive title in the series, or experimental, or even Nomura's stealth revival of a series he got kicked out of. I want it to be a good action rpg with good graphics and a crazy ass story that makes me cry.

This is fucking ridiculous, nobody asked for this. On the point of KH4 being make or break, that's probably correct, but that's entirely on SE. Every single KH title has been financially successful, in spite of SE's extreme lack of care for the series, like shitty cloud ports, taking an eternity in getting them to PC, drought after drought, shitty failed gacha after shitty failed gacha. They've used and exploited and sucked all the value from the name, so if KH4 does end up underperforming, it's their own fucking fault.

 

[Squood!]

Bruh going from UE4 and UE5 is like going from...fourth grade to fifth grade it ain't that deep