Kingdom Hearts IV is officially in the works. Square Enix announced the upcoming installment during an event in Japan to celebrate the series’ 20th-anniversary. You watch its trailer in the video embedded above.
The trailer doesn’t immediately start with Kingdom Hearts IV — it also includes clips from the newly-announced mobile game, Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, so you’ll have to skip to the 4:09 mark to get a glimpse at Kingdom Hearts IV.
Once the trailer opens, you’ll see Sora wake up inside of an apartment as what appears to be a giant heartless sets foot in the city. Sora whips out his Keyblade, parkouring and grappling his way towards the enemy. At the very end of the trailer, Goofy and Donald Duck wander in darkness, coming face-to-face with an unknown threat.
The art style this time around looks a lot more realistic, although Square Enix notes the trailer contains development footage that’s “subject to change.” In a press release, Square Enix says Kingdom Hearts IV takes place in the city of Quadratum, and introduces us to a new character named Strelitzia, who also appears in the trailer:
Sora makes a triumphant return with an updated look at the beginning of an epic new storyline titled the “Lost Master Arc.” Beginning with Sora facing off in a boss battle against a giant enemy, players are introduced to the Quadratum, a large, expansive city set in a gorgeous, realistic world unlike anything ever seen before in the KINGDOM HEARTS series. Fans will be excited to see the return of Sora’s well-known companions Donald and Goofy, in addition to the first appearance of Strelitzia, a mysterious new character who appears before Sora in this strange new setting.
There isn’t any word on a release date for Kingdom Hearts IV. Square Enix says Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link will be available as a closed beta on Android and iOS in “specific regions” this August.
Update April 10th 9:45AM ET: Updated to add a quote from Square Enix’s press release.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/10/23018977/kingdom-hearts-iv-announced-20th-anniversary-event-square-enix