Kingdom Hearts IV has been pretty elusive since its original announcement in 2022. Square Enix has given us two trailers for the next installment in its long-running Disney and Final Fantasy crossover, a few screenshots, a few details here and there β and that’s about it. Thankfully, Kingdom Hearts fans know how to make a meal out of crumbs.
So what do we actually know about Kingdom Hearts IV that isn’t just rampant speculation from people trying to draw water from a stone? Let’s go through what Square Enix has actually said about the game.
π Quick Overview: Kingdom Hearts IV kicks off the new “Lost Master Arc” and follows Sora in Quadratum β a realistic world based on Shibuya. It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC, though a release date hasn’t been announced yet.
The Story So Far
Explaining Kingdom Hearts IV‘s known story requires doing some untangling. Thus far, the game appears to be pretty removed from the series’ Disney roots and mostly concerned with the series’ original lore. What we’ve seen so far shows longtime protagonist Sora in a world called Quadratum, which is based on real-life Shibuya.
Initially, this world was presented as the setting of an in-universe video game called Verum Rex that the toys in the Toy Story world tell Sora about, but now Kingdom Hearts reaches into its elaborate multiverse setup. Quadratum is believed to be fictional, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t “real.” Sora has been transported to this world after the events of Kingdom Hearts III and its Re:Mind DLC.
His friends Riku and Kairi finally discover his whereabouts in the rhythm game Melody of Memory. Riku heads to Quadratum in search of Sora while Kairi stays behind to inform the Disney crew of what they’ve learned.
That’s the basic setup of Kingdom Hearts IV, but anyone who knows anything about this series knows it’s not that straightforward. Over the course of the past 24 years, Kingdom Hearts has been spinning an elaborate tale that makes pretty much every game required reading. If you’ve only been playing the numbered entries, you’re going to be very, very lost.
Returning Characters
From the two trailers and various screenshots we’ve seen, it’s clear that a lot of Kingdom Hearts characters are set to appear in KH4, though their various roles are unclear at this point.
| Character | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sora | Confirmed | Returning as the main protagonist |
| Mickey Mouse | Confirmed | Appears to be playable in some sequences |
| Donald & Goofy | Confirmed | Seen briefly, but not yet fighting alongside Sora |
| Hades | Likely | Voice actor James Woods implied he’s done recording |
| Luxord | Confirmed | Will appear in Quadratum |
| Strelitzia | Confirmed | From the mobile games |
| Master of Masters | Confirmed | The enigmatic villain |
| Young Xehanort | Confirmed | Returning in his younger form |
| Riku | Likely | Headed to Quadratum at the end of Melody of Memory |
| Final Fantasy Characters | Unconfirmed | They were absent from KH3 until the DLC |
Why Does It Look Like That?
Kingdom Hearts IV looks much, much closer to a mainline Final Fantasy game than anything else in the series. Typically the series has opted for an anime-inspired art style that tried to blend Sora into Disney worlds without it looking too jarring. After Kingdom Hearts III, the series took on an almost plastic, toy-like visual style, but Kingdom Hearts IV looks pretty much photorealistic.
According to Square Enix, this is specifically because Sora is in Quadratum. In previous Kingdom Hearts games, Sora and his friends have “transformed” to better fit the aesthetic of whatever Disney world they’re journeying through, so there’s a basis for this, even if it is the most drastic transformation the series has ever produced.
“From Sora’s perspective, Quadratum is an underworld, a fictional world that is different from reality. But from the point of view of the inhabitants on the Quadratum side, the world of Quadratum is reality, and the world where Sora and the others were is the other side, the fictional world.”
β Tetsuya Nomura, Director
What Disney Worlds Are in Kingdom Hearts IV?
At this point, we’ve pretty much only seen footage of Quadratum, so if Kingdom Hearts IV is taking us to Disney worlds, we haven’t seen any of them. Hades’ involvement implies that someone, whether it’s Sora or not, could end up in Olympus once more, but that’s not confirmed either.
In the one screenshot of Mickey Square released, the King seems to be in Scala ad Caelum, the origin point of Kingdom Hearts‘ many worlds. This makes sense considering Mickey was sent there by Yensid at the end of Melody of Memory.
If you came here wanting to find out if we would be visiting Moana or Nick and Judy from Zootopia, I’m afraid to say we don’t have any information about that yet.
That being said, there is one shot in the original trailer that fans think may be from a sequence set in a Star Wars world. I figured at some point Star Wars or Marvel would make their way to Kingdom Hearts because of brand synergy.
Will the Canceled Missing-Link Game Tie Into This at All?
It’s unclear if Missing-Link β the canceled mobile game that was meant to come out before Kingdom Hearts IV β will be integrated somehow into the game. Based on a leaked cinematic, characters that were meant to play a part in the game, like Sigurd, are believed to be part of the upcoming game.
Given that Kingdom Hearts games are usually pretty important pieces of the series’ larger puzzle, I wouldn’t be surprised if Square was planning on introducing some major story elements in Missing-Link before it was canceled. We’ll see how β or if β the company handles integrating those characters and plot points into KH4.
How Is Combat Different?
Based on what we’ve seen of Kingdom Hearts IV‘s combat so far, it seems pretty much on par for the series. It’s fast-paced and has Sora hacking and slashing Heartless with his keyblade and then doing cool stunts and tricks like zipping around and grinding on buildings as he fights a massive boss.
The QTE-driven special moves seem to be intact, as well. What we haven’t seen yet is Sora fighting alongside party members. Donald and Goofy are separated from their keyblade wielder, and it’s unclear if or when the band will get back together so we can see how Sora synergizes with a party this time around.
Platforms and Release Date
| Platform | Status |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | Confirmed |
| Xbox Series X|S | Confirmed |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Confirmed |
| PC | Confirmed |
| Release Date | TBA β No window announced yet |
π‘ Final Word: Kingdom Hearts IV is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious entries in the series yet β a photorealistic, lore-heavy adventure that’s equally exciting and intimidating for newcomers. For now, we wait. But when the next trailer drops, you can bet we’ll be covering it.
