Kingdom Hearts 4 to Reboot Franchise

Kingdom Hearts fans, get ready for a monumental shift in the beloved series! Tetsuya Nomura, the mastermind behind the franchise, has recently dropped intriguing hints about the direction of the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4. As the series approaches its next chapter, Nomura's insights suggest that this installment could be the turning point we've all been waiting for.

Kingdom Hearts 4 Will See the Story Reset, Said Nomura

In an illuminating interview with Young Jump, translated by KH13, Nomura shared that Kingdom Hearts 4 is being crafted "with the intention of it being a story that leads to the conclusion." This doesn't mean the series will end with this game, but it sets the stage for what might be the final saga in the Kingdom Hearts universe. The game introduces the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative that welcomes both new players and veteran fans without the need for prior knowledge of the series' intricate plots.

"If you remember how the ending of Kingdom Hearts III goes, you'll understand that Sora ends up like that because he's ‘resetting’ the story in a way," Nomura explained. "So Kingdom Hearts IV should be easier to get into than before. I think that if you like the series, you'll feel like 'this is it', but I'm also hoping that as many new players as possible will play it."

While Nomura’s comments hint at a potential conclusion to the main storyline, the series has always been known for its unexpected twists. What might appear as an ending could still leave room for interpretation or pave the way for future spin-offs and side stories. With the vast array of characters, any one of them could headline their own adventures, especially with Nomura revealing the inclusion of new writers to enrich the Kingdom Hearts universe.

"Both Kingdom Hearts Missing Link and Kingdom Hearts IV have been created with a stronger focus on being new titles rather than sequels," Nomura told Young Jump. "For example, as a new experiment, we have had staff who have not been involved in the Kingdom Hearts series before participate in writing the scenario. Of course, I will be editing it in the end, but I don't think it will be positioned as a work that needs to be done in the sense that the writer who has never been involved in the 'Kingdom Hearts' series is creating a new base."

The addition of fresh talent to the writing team is a thrilling prospect. It promises to infuse the narrative with new perspectives while preserving the essence that fans cherish. These new viewpoints could lead to innovative gameplay mechanics and unexplored territories within the Disney and Square Enix crossover.

However, Nomura has also hinted at his potential retirement in a few years. He poses a personal challenge: "If this isn't a dream, then I only have a few years left until I retire, and it's looking like: will I retire or will I finish the series first?"

New Arc, New Beginnings

Announced in April 2022, Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently in development. The first trailer introduces the "Lost Master Arc," starting with Sora awakening in Quadratum, a world Nomura described in a 2022 Famitsu interview as an alternate reality akin to ours.

"From each of our perspectives, our perceptions change," Nomura noted, translated by VGC. "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."

Nomura revealed in his recent Young Jump interview that the concept of Quadratum, which resembles Tokyo yet carries a dream-like quality, has been in his mind since the development of the first game.

Unlike the whimsical Disney-centric worlds of past titles, Quadratum offers a more grounded and realistic setting. With enhanced visual fidelity, the number of Disney worlds will be reduced, as Nomura shared with GameInformer in 2022. "With regards to Kingdom Hearts IV, players are definitely going to see a few Disney worlds in there," he said. "Since each new title, the specs have been really increasing, and there’s so much more we can do in terms of graphics, it kind of limits the number of worlds that we can create in a sense. At this time, we’re considering how to approach that, but there will be Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts IV."

While the reduction in Disney worlds might be disappointing for some, Nomura’s decision to streamline the game's environments could lead to a more focused and coherent narrative, easing the complexity that has sometimes overwhelmed players in previous games.

Whether Kingdom Hearts 4 marks the end or the beginning of a new chapter, it promises to be a pivotal moment in the journey of Sora and his companions. For fans, the prospect of seeing the series come full circle under Nomura's guidance, while bittersweet, will be an epic conclusion to a story spanning over two decades.