The Kingdom Hearts franchise has been notoriously difficult for newcomers to try to get into for as long as anyone can remember, thanks in no small part to the fact that even the most obscure spinoffs end up being crucial to the series’ overarching story. With the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4, however, it seems like Square Enix is trying to change that.
Speaking recently with Japanese outlet Young Jump, creative director and series mastermind Tetsuya Nomura explained that Kingdom Hearts 4 (as well as mobile title Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link) is being designed as a “reset” that will be easier for new players to get into.
“I do think of Missing Link and 4 as a reset,” Nomura said (via GamesRadar). “I wanted to end it with 3, or rather reset it, so I appointed new writers and even made a new logo to make it easier for new people to get into it.”
Nomura went on to say that the action RPG will still serve as a follow-up to Kingdom Hearts 3, but though existing fans will find the connective tissue, he says the hope is that more new players will be able to hop in this time.
“For those who know how Kingdom Hearts 3 ends, the reason why Sora ends up like that in the ending is because we wanted to reset the story in a way,” Nomura said (via @aitaikimochi on Twitter). “This should make it even easier for newcomers to join the story starting from Kingdom Hearts 4. Fans of the Kingdom Hearts series will also be able to feel like, ‘oh so it’s THIS’, but we’re making this game with the hopes that new players can enjoy it as well.”
Kingdom Hearts 4 was announced in 2022, though details on it have been scarce since then. Leaks have previously claimed that it is targeting a 2025 release.
