Kingdom Hearts 4 Will Reboot the Series

Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura recently hinted at a pivotal turning point for the series with the upcoming fourth mainline installment. Discover what he revealed about this new chapter.

Nomura Hints at a Series Conclusion with Kingdom Hearts 4

Kingdom Hearts 4: A Story Reset, According to Nomura

The future of Kingdom Hearts appears both captivating and potentially conclusive, based on a recent interview with Nomura. His comments regarding Kingdom Hearts 4 suggest the next game will be a significant turning point.

In an interview with Young Jump (translated by KH13), Nomura stated that Kingdom Hearts 4 is being developed "with the intention of it being a story that leads to the conclusion." While not confirming a series finale, this sets the stage for what might be the final saga. The game initiates the "Lost Master Arc," a fresh narrative accessible to both newcomers and veterans without requiring extensive prior knowledge.

Nomura explained, "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," adding, "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 hinting at a potential end to the main storyline, it's crucial to remember the series' history of twists and turns. A seemingly definitive conclusion might allow for interpretation or future spin-offs. The extensive cast also opens possibilities for individual character-driven adventures, especially with Nomura's announcement of new writers contributing to the Kingdom Hearts universe.

Nomura told Young Jump, "Both Kingdom Hearts Missing Link and Kingdom Hearts IV have been created with a stronger focus on being new titles rather than sequels," noting the inclusion of writers new to the series. He clarified, "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 involvement of new writers offers exciting possibilities, potentially injecting fresh energy while preserving beloved elements. This could lead to innovative gameplay and unexplored areas within the Disney and Square Enix crossover.

However, Nomura's confirmed consideration of retirement within a few years adds another layer. He posed the question, "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?"

A New Arc, A Fresh Start

Announced in April 2022, Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently under development. The first trailer showcased the beginning of the "Lost Master Arc." Details remain scarce, but the trailer reveals Sora awakening in Quadratum, a world Nomura described in a 2022 Famitsu interview (translated by VGC) as an alternate reality similar to our own.

Nomura explained, "From each of our perspectives, our perceptions change. 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."

According to Nomura's Young Jump interview, this Tokyo-inspired world with a dreamlike quality isn't entirely new; he conceived it during the first game's development.

In contrast to the whimsical Disney worlds of previous games, Quadratum offers a more grounded setting. This, coupled with enhanced visual fidelity, has resulted in a reduced number of Disney worlds.

Nomura told GameInformer in 2022, "With regards to Kingdom Hearts IV, players are definitely going to see a few Disney worlds in there...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 fewer Disney worlds are a change, this streamlining could lead to a more focused narrative, potentially mitigating the complexity that has sometimes challenged players.

Regardless of whether Kingdom Hearts 4 concludes the series or begins a new chapter, it will be a momentous occasion for Sora and his companions. For many fans, a culmination under Nomura's direction, while bittersweet, would be an epic conclusion to a story spanning over two decades.