Sora’s got a new pair of shoes.
Over the weekend, video game publisher and developer Square Enix celebrated the 20th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts, the beloved (and occasionally inscrutable) action RPG series that blends elements from Final Fantasy and classic Disney movies and properties. As part of the celebration, Square Enix released a trailer showcasing some upcoming developments for the series, including a new mobile game. The major draw, however, came after that.
In the anniversary trailer, it was revealed that the next mainline game in the series, Kingdom Hearts 4, is already in development, and they already had an in-engine boss fight to show off. According to co-director Yasushi Yasue, the gameplay footage was made using Unreal Engine 4, but the finished game will utilize Unreal Engine 5, so it will look much better.
Here's a look at the future of the Kingdom Hearts series, just revealed at the 20th Anniversary Event held in Tokyo. #KH20th pic.twitter.com/WkmknaMcqO
— KINGDOM HEARTS (@KINGDOMHEARTS) April 10, 2022
As for what to expect in the game, it is, as always, anyone’s guess. Sora has been dropped in a contemporary city known as Quadratum, while Donald and Goofy are searching for ways to reunite with him. Eagle-eyed fans have noted potential appearances by Hades, the villain from Hercules and a Kingdom Hearts regular, as well as what may be an AT-AT from Star Wars, suggesting that Disney will finally make use of the Star Wars license for Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts 4 does not have a set release date, and based on the development period of Kingdom Hearts 3, it will likely be a long time before we see it again, but at least that leaves plenty of time for speculation.