Kingdom Hearts 4 is Coming to Nintendo Switch 2 at Launch

In what was, for the most part, a pretty ho-hum Nintendo Direct lacking surprise announcements, aside from that Ocarina of Time remake, Kingdom Hearts 4 getting a new trailer and release platforms felt like it came out of nowhere.

First announced in 2022 during the franchise's 20th anniversary, we know that the game will begin a new saga for Sora and friends. Details are, understandably, light, as this is the first we've really seen or heard from the game in years, but we do have a brief description per a press release.

"A new installment in the action role-playing series developed and published by Square Enix, Kingdom Hearts 4 follows protagonist Sora and some familiar characters as they journey through the mysterious city of Quadratum. Sora will once again journey to various worlds, where new figures cross his path and new powers awaken in this next chapter."

Beyond that, we also know that Kingdom Hearts 4 will be a full multiplatform game, releasing on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. This falls in line with what we'll see from Final Fantasy 7: Revelation, which will also launch on all platforms in 2027.

We're One Step Closer to Kingdom Hearts 4, But Will the Anticipated Sequel Fix Its Messy Lore?

Like many, I was thoroughly convinced that it would be at least a year until we heard anything new on Kingdom Hearts 4. After all, Tetsuya Nomura, the game's director, is hard at work on wrapping up the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. I guess he has time to work on both projects.

Here's what we know thus far: Kingdom Hearts 4 will start the "Lost Master" story, taking place in the city of Quadratum, heavily inspired by Tokyo. Quadratum will serve as a hub world, allowing players to explore various Disney-themed levels, as is tradition for the franchise.

What's also been tradition for Kingdom Hearts, especially after the first game, is one of the most confusing and messiest storylines in a video game. Even if you've managed to play every game in the franchise (and there are more than you may realize), this is in no way, shape, or form anything that comes close to resembling a coherent plot.

Confirmation that Sora will "once again journey to various worlds" means that the game won't solely take place in that Tokyo-inspired city. Whether or not Square leans more into the Disney side of things, though, remains to be seen.

This is a Chance for Square Enix to Focus on What Makes Kingdom Hearts Great

It's been nearly a decade since the release of Kingdom Hearts 3, and since then, we've seen the birth of several iconic Disney franchises. I'd be shocked if Moana wasn't heavily featured in the game, for example, given the film has received a sequel and a live-action remake since the original's 2016 release.

We also saw the release of Zootopia last year, not to mention the expanded presence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe under Disney. Now, I'm not saying that Sora is going to team up with the Avengers, but that's the magic of Kingdom Hearts: there are so many possibilities here, and I hope that Kingdom Hearts 4 leans more into the Disney aspect than the JRPG side of things.

Starting a new story arc is the perfect way to offer a soft reset, pivoting away from the convoluted backstory and centering on what makes Kingdom Hearts so great: action-RPG combat alongside your favorite Disney characters and worlds.

Whether or not Kingdom Hearts 4 can deliver on this remains to be seen, as we're undoubtedly a ways off from a release. Here's to hoping we'll have an idea when we see it again, which will hopefully be sometime before 2030.