Kingdom Hearts 4 Is Already in the Final Stages of Development

Kingdom Hearts 4 got its first real trailer at the last D23 a few weeks ago, and it turns out the game is making good progress! Director Tetsuya Nomura and co-director Tai Yasue shared a lot of new details about the upcoming game in a recent Famitsu interview. This is not the entire translation of the full interview from the Japanese magazine’s coverage, but a good part of it has been translated by KHIsland on Twitter/X, and this has already revealed some interesting information about the game’s development, worlds, and story!

If you want to look at the complete interview, feel free to check out Famitsu’s website for the original piece!

The World of Coco Is the Most Advanced

In the last trailer, the only world we really see, outside of Quadratum, is Coco. This world is obviously inspired by Pixar’s Coco, and apparently it was selected very early in Kingdom Hearts 4’s development and is currently the most advanced world in the game.

The city featured in the world is said to be extremely large and more detailed than anything seen in the series before. Its design also places vertical movements at the center, and that means we will have plenty of opportunities to explore both horizontally and vertically. We do see it in the trailer already, with Sora sort of riding on rails in the air and things like that!

The Keyblade will also have some unusual uses in the world. It keeps its traditional role as a weapon, but Sora will be able to use it as a guitar, with a lot of musical elements incorporated into combat.

Nomura and the team are also keeping some other surprises as a secret for now! So there is probably much more to it than just a bit of music.

Fewer Worlds, But More Detailed

Kingdom Hearts 4 will have the most detailed worlds in the series so far. However, that increased level of detail comes with a trade-off. The game will have fewer worlds overall than some previous entries. It is hard to say if this is a good or a bad thing. In a way, if the worlds are really bigger and more detailed, it might be more interesting. We can probably all agree that some of the worlds, especially in Kingdom Hearts 3, could feel a little bit empty. So if we get 2/3 fewer worlds, but on the other side, the worlds we have are more detailed, in theory, it should be a good thing. But unless we can really test it already, it is hard to judge just on that small information.

The story is also expected to connect in some way to the whole mobile χ saga, but Nomura wants new players to be able to follow along without having played the mobile games. Characters such as Vali, Sigurd, and Strelitzia will be introduced in a way that provides the necessary context. This is pretty good news, to be honest! A lot of players were scared that they would be entirely lost with the story, because not everyone played the mobile series. So knowing that we will obtain the necessary context directly in KH4 is definitely a good thing!

Interestingly, Nomura, Yasue, and the development team apparently have a particular fondness for Sigurd and his personality. I played the mobile games, and I do understand why, a little bit. I’m sure they made him even better in Kingdom Hearts 4 than what we saw in the mobile game!

The Dandelions will also play an important role in Quadratum. They basically operate as a group cooperating with the city’s government, with practically every Keyblade wielder who arrives in Quadratum, including Sora, becoming part of the group.

Development Is in the Final Stages

As for development, Kingdom Hearts 4 is apparently now in the “finalization and polishing phase”. During the interview, it was revealed that the scenario is already completed. The game’s script is said to be around twice the size of Kingdom Hearts 3’s, and the developers are promising “substantial content and a lengthy experience.” Giving how KH3’s ending was rushed, I do hope they take the time necessary to not rush the story this time around.

The team also has a dedicated member specializing in the χ saga who checks the game’s story for potential inconsistencies. This person is additionally involved in discussions with Disney regarding the story and universe.

However, do not expect a huge flood of new information immediately. Nomura warned that the next wave of announcements will not arrive all at once and that the team intends to wait a little longer before revealing more, but he did once again reconfirm a release in the second half of 2027!

So basically, new trailers or gameplay details are not going to arrive in the next few weeks, but you can at least prepare for Kingdom Hearts 4 to release in 2027!

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