Summary
It has been some time sinceKingdom Hearts 4was in the news, but what some thought could be the first official look at the game in some time has emerged alongside the launch ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. An image shared on the game’s official accounts to celebrate the wide release ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthignited speculation about Sora’s new circumstances inKingdom Hearts 4.
Ever sinceKingdom Hearts 4was revealedback in April 2022, Square Enix has kept its cards close to its chest, showing little about Sora’s further adventures despite fan impatience. In the meantime, speculation and hype has filled the void, with calls and theories abounding about everything from worlds themed after recent Disney animated movies to calls for the integration of broader Disney-owned brands like Marvel andStar Wars.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Celebrates the Release of FF7 Rebirth
The latest drip in the trickle ofKingdom Heartsinfo came courtesy of a post made by the officialKingdom HeartsTwitter account. The post included an image of Sora fromKingdom Hearts 3standing at a city intersection. A message in the corner of the image congratulatesFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthon its wide release.
The image, which was taken fromKingdom Hearts 3, was mistaken by many fans to be a new image fromKingdom Hearts 4, igniting speculation. Some were excited at what they thought was a new look at Quadratum, the modern-looking city that serves asthe setting ofKingdom Hearts 4. They noticed the stylized, alien text on the signs and billboards, and the clear visual references to actual locations like Shibuya’s 109 department store. Others looked to the render of Sephiroth as a sign of his return toKingdom Heartsafter appearing inKingdom Hearts 2as a secret boss.
Some other commentators took a more measured response, reminding confused fans that the image isn’t fromKingdom Hearts 4but fromKingdom Hearts 3’s secret ending, edited to show Sephiroth. They also pointed out that aKingdom Hearts 4image likely wouldn’t show Sora with hisKingdom Hearts 3design and proportions, rather than the more realistic,seemingly mature Sora ofKingdom Hearts 4. Finally, they reasoned that Square Enix wouldn’t drop a majorKingdom Hearts 4reveal in a throwaway congratulatory post for a different, unrelated game.
Despite the connections between the creative teams behindKingdom HeartsandFinal Fantasy 7 -least of all through legendary developer Tetsuya Nomura, who played key roles in the development of both series - it wouldn’t be good marketing to teaseKingdom Hearts 4in promotional tweets for a different, unrelated title. But even if the Twitter post has no real definitive connection toKingdom Hearts 4, the excitement it stirred up speaks to the anticipationKingdom Heartsfans have for the game, as it continues along its path to release, whenever that might be.
Kingdom Hearts 4
Kingdom Hearts 4 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and represents the fifteenth installment in the franchise. Players once again are put in the shoes of Sora who is suddenly trapped in a more realistic world called Quadratum, with companions like Donald and Goofy attempting to rescue him. Kingdom Hearts 4 is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.
