Disney & Square Enix Unveil Kingdom Hearts 4, Promising a Bold New Era

Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura recently hinted at a pivotal turning point for the series with the upcoming fourth mainline installment. Discover what he revealed about this new chapter.

Nomura Hints at a Series Conclusion with Kingdom Hearts 4

Kingdom Hearts 4: A Story Reset, According to Nomura

The future of Kingdom Hearts appears both captivating and potentially conclusive, based on a recent interview with creator Tetsuya Nomura. Looking ahead to Kingdom Hearts 4, Nomura's comments suggest a significant shift for the franchise.

In an interview with Young Jump (translated by KH13), Nomura stated that Kingdom Hearts 4 is being developed "with the intention of it being a story that leads to the conclusion." While not confirming a series finale, this sets the stage for what could be the final saga. The game initiates the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative accessible to both newcomers and veterans without requiring extensive prior knowledge.

"If you remember how the ending of Kingdom Hearts III goes, you'll understand that Sora ends up like that because he's ‘resetting’ the story in a way," Nomura explained. "So Kingdom Hearts IV should be easier to get into than before. I think that if you like the series, you'll feel like 'this is it', but I'm also hoping that as many new players as possible will play it."

While Nomura's statements suggest a potential end to the main storyline, the series' history of twists and turns warrants caution. What might seem definitive could be open to interpretation or pave the way for future spin-offs. The series' extensive cast also presents opportunities for individual character-driven adventures, particularly with Nomura's announcement of new writers joining the Kingdom Hearts universe.

"Both Kingdom Hearts Missing Link and Kingdom Hearts IV have been created with a stronger focus on being new titles rather than sequels," Nomura told Young Jump. "For example, as a new experiment, we have had staff who have not been involved in the Kingdom Hearts series before participate in writing the scenario. Of course, I will be editing it in the end, but I don't think it will be positioned as a work that needs to be done in the sense that the writer who has never been involved in the 'Kingdom Hearts' series is creating a new base."

The inclusion of new writers is a promising development. It could inject fresh energy into the narrative while preserving beloved core elements. New perspectives might also introduce innovative gameplay and unexplored areas within the Disney and Square Enix collaboration.

However, while Nomura's creative vision has been crucial to the series' success (and occasional complexity), he's acknowledged considering retirement within a few years. This presents a personal challenge: "If this isn't a dream, then I only have a few years left until I retire, and it's looking like: will I retire or will I finish the series first?"

A New Arc, New Beginnings

Announced in April 2022, Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently under development. The game's initial trailer showcased the start of the "Lost Master Arc." Details remain scarce, but the trailer reveals Sora awakening in Quadratum, a world Nomura described in a 2022 Famitsu interview (translated by VGC) as an alternate reality akin to our own.

"From each of our perspectives, our perceptions change," Nomura stated. "From Sora’s perspective, Quadratum is an underworld, a fictional world that is different from reality. But from the point of view of the inhabitants on the Quadratum side, the world of Quadratum is reality, and the world where Sora and the others were is the other side, the fictional world."

According to Nomura's recent Young Jump interview, this Tokyo-inspired, dreamlike world is not entirely new; he conceived it during the first game's development.

In contrast to the whimsical Disney worlds of previous titles, Quadratum offers a more grounded, realistic setting. This, combined with enhanced visual fidelity, results in a reduced number of Disney worlds.

"With regards to Kingdom Hearts IV, players are definitely going to see a few Disney worlds in there," Nomura told GameInformer in 2022. "Since each new title, the specs have been really increasing, and there’s so much more we can do in terms of graphics, it kind of limits the number of worlds that we can create in a sense. At this time, we’re considering how to approach that, but there will be Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts IV."

While the decrease in Disney worlds is notable—a core series element—streamlining could foster a more focused narrative, potentially mitigating the complexity that sometimes overwhelmed players in past installments.

Regardless of whether Kingdom Hearts 4 concludes or initiates a new chapter, it will be a landmark moment for Sora and his companions. For many fans, a full-circle conclusion under Nomura's direction, while bittersweet, would be an epic culmination of a story spanning over two decades.