Apr 112022
It actually happened!
Sure, I had Kingdom Hearts IV on my list of hopes and predictions for the weekend’s anniversary celebration, but I thought the best we could hope for was a title.
Instead, Square Enix officially announced Kingdom Hearts IV with a trailer and screenshots!
It is apparently part of the Lost Master Arc, so it seems we now have a title for the new story arc now that the Dark Seeker Saga is complete.
This news came as part of an anniversary trailer that also included an update about the finale of Dark Road, which is now set for August and looks like it should be quite exciting story-wise, as well as the announcement of a new mobile game called Missing Link.
(Kingdom Hearts IV starts at 4:06 in the trailer.)
Kingdom Hearts Missing Link appears to be set after the events of Union Cross. Despite being a mobile game, this one is 3D. It looks interesting, but I’m sure it will be another gacha game. A beta test for Missing Link will take place this year.
The Kingdom Hearts IV trailer begins with Sora waking up in Quadratum, which looks very much like our real world. Not only that, but Strelitzia is there with him! She refers to it as an “afterworld” for herself and Sora, which makes me wonder if people who die (or perhaps die in certain circumstances?) end up in Quadratum for some reason.
A giant Heartless appears in the streets, and Sora fights it. It actually shows gameplay for this part, although that might just be for demonstration purposes.
After the fight scene, we see two figures in black coats observing from above. Yes, two. One of them is probably the Master of Masters, but I’m curious about who the other is. Luxu shouldn’t be there, right? Luxord, maybe, or his Somebody?
The trailer ends with Donald and Goofy walking through a dark place before being confronted by someone indicated by blue fire, which probably means it’s Hades. (I’ve seen people say it sounds like his Japanese voice actor, too.) That would line up with the idea that they’re looking for help because Sora is “dead.”
Kingdom Hearts IV doesn’t have a release window yet, although I bet it won’t be as long as people are joking. I’m excited for this next game in the saga, and I can’t wait to learn more!
What are your thoughts on Kingdom Hearts Missing Link and Kingdom Hearts IV?
So much news and excitement! I expect it will be a while until KH3 but I am glad that they announced it because that helps it feel like there will not be as long a gap between KH4 and KH3 as there was between KH2 and KH3. I’ll definitely end up playing Missing Link but I hope the (assumed) GACHA elements aren’t too bad…
I was surprised there aren’t going to be more non-numbered titles in between, but I guess the mobile games count for that too.
I wish they’d make a nice mobile game that ISN’T gacha, if they insist on mobile games.
[…] still hard to believe that Kingdom Hearts IV was announced just a few months ago, but now we have some additional details thanks to new interviews with […]
[…] the anniversary event, they announced that the final part of Kingdom Hearts Dark Road would be out in August, but with no […]