Square Enix has a packed 2023. It started withForspoken, will reachFinal Fantasy 16in the middle, and could hitFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthat the very end. The later games are suspect for delays, but even if that happens,Square Enix’s momentum of releasing smaller titlescould smooth over the release schedule. Among these many game releases could be the official launch ofKingdom Hearts: Missing Link, a game that has been confirmed to feature some teasers forKingdom Hearts 4.
Regarding theKingdom Heartsfranchise in particular, ifMissing Linkcomes out, it will be the only entry from it this year. The idea of aKingdom Hearts 4’s release in 2023 is inconceivable, even with Square Enix ramping up its output of larger titles. The game was revealed early in development in April 2022, and after the massive wait fans went through withKingdom Hearts 3, they don’t expectKH4for at least a couple more years. Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean thatKingdom Hearts 4will be entirely absent from 2023’s news.
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There wasn’t always such a massive gap in betweenKingdom Heartsannouncements and releases. From 2002 to 2012, a majorKingdom Heartstitle typically came out every couple of years. A lot about the franchise changed in 2013 as the HD remasters began to release,Kingdom Hearts χcame out, andKingdom Hearts 3was announced. While it took until January 2019 for the game to actually release,Kingdom Hearts 3wasn’t in development for all five-and-a-half years in between. Several delays were reported due to swapping engines for Unreal Engine 4, as well as other reasons. Time also had to be taken to construct 2017’sKingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, which served as a bespoke tech demo forKingdom Hearts 3.
KH3was well-underway in 2017, as trailer footage showed accurate gameplay from the first few hours of the game. It got a lot of trailers as it neared release, making it appear that the game truly came together in its last few years of supposed development. By that logic, statements thatKingdom Hearts 4began its development in January 2020mean that it could come out as early as late 2023, though that doesn’t reflect reality. The COVID-19 pandemic declared a few months into 2020 would have significantly slowed down development, and the April 2022 reveal trailer probably didn’t include final gameplay.Kingdom Hearts 4is still at least a couple of years off, but there may be some hope for news in 2023.
What Kingdom Hearts 4 Could Reveal in 2023
A lot ofKingdom Hearts 4’s chances to appear in 2023 are tied tothe release ofKingdom Hearts: Missing Link. Despite taking place farther back in the timeline, the mobile game is supposed to contain some connections toKingdom Hearts 4. IfMissing Link, which just underwent a closed beta test that is allegedly 50% complete, does release in 2023, then more news aboutKingdom Hearts 4should follow. An interview, at the very least, will probably broach the subject ofKingdom Hearts 4and touch on how development is going.
Trailers featuringKingdom Hearts 4aren’t likely yet, but after how manyKingdom Hearts 3got, they are feasible. Many fans would prefer it if Square Enix could treatKingdom Hearts 4’s marketing likeFinal Fantasy 16’s, but only time will tell if it is willing to stay quiet tillKH4is almost done. As for what else could be revealed, a release date is almost certainly not happening, and a release window any more specific than a tentative year is much the same. Fans could hear the announcement of a single new world at a Square Enix or Disney event, but past that, everyone should temper their expectations forKingdom Hearts 4’s 2023.
