As 2025 moves on, there's still no sign of Kingdom Hearts 4 news. Rumor has it the next entry in Disney and Square Enix’s classic crossover franchise is aiming for a 2026 release date, so there is hope that news will emerge by the end of the year, but that's all there is for the moment. Even Kingdom Hearts Missing Link has mysteriously gone silent, despite having been subject to closed beta tests in the recent past. Kingdom Hearts 4 is still exciting despite its extended absence, but it should remind fans of its presence soon.
In the meantime, speculation on Kingdom Hearts 4’s content and story is still ongoing, even with little more than a single teaser trailer and a handful of developer statements. Because Kingdom Hearts 4 has moved into the unreality of Quadratum, it's not clear what to expect from Kingdom Hearts' usual crossover world structure. Star Wars and Marvel worlds are popular theories, but the door is open to anything. It's even plausible that Kingdom Hearts 4’s worlds could all be from returning films, albeit with some new twists to make what's old feel new again.
Why Kingdom Hearts 4 World Likely Won't Just Rely on Modern Hits
Despite the appeal that newer Disney films would have as worlds in Kingdom Hearts 4, the upcoming sequel will probably feature unexpected diversity.
Reinventing Old Worlds Would Give Kingdom Hearts 4 A Unique Identity
KH4’s Recycled Worlds Would Be High Risk, High Reward
Since Kingdom Hearts 4 is the start of a new saga for the franchise, the Lost Master Arc, it stands to reason that it could devote one game to seeing what old Disney worlds would look like in a different context. Only introducing new KH-original worlds without new Disney ones may sound counterintuitive, but there's no better way to prove that the Lost Master Arc is distinct from what came before than by proving it with old settings that feel new again. The lack of fresh faces will be felt, however, so Kingdom Hearts 4 would need to ensure its writing is strong enough to tie everything together.
Reception to rampant world reuse will also be mitigated by Kingdom Hearts’ own traditions. Plenty of worlds have already transferred between Kingdom Hearts entries, and several entries share most or all of their worlds with prior ones. Those particular entries mostly consist of smaller handheld Kingdom Hearts games like Chain of Memories and 358/2 Days, but even major titles have proven that old worlds like Halloween Town, Port Royal, and Olympus Coliseum can change things with each appearance. Kingdom Hearts 4 doing the same could be just as impressive as adapting new material, all while reinforcing unreality’s new status quo.
How Kingdom Hearts 4 Can Make Old Worlds Work
Committing to having only rerun worlds is a serious decision that might earn some criticism of KH4, but it's arguably equivalent to doing the opposite. Both methods would theoretically introduce the new story direction equally well, and take advantage of Kingdom Hearts 4’s new gameplay and art direction. It also feels right for the series’ big shift into another arc to be pronounced through an all-or-nothing approach to bringing back worlds. Disney still has plenty of properties that deserve the Kingdom Hearts treatment, but there will be time later for them.
Live-Action Versions Of Old KH Worlds Are An Untapped Resource
If Kingdom Hearts 4 really wants to emphasize a cast of returning worlds while making them feel meaningfully different, it could opt for adapting the live-action remakes instead of the animated films. This is another risky venture that Kingdom Hearts 4 would need to overcome on its own merits, as many of those remakes have rocky receptions, but there are upsides. More than enough Disney remakes exist to fill an entire KH game’s world list, and some, like the Maleficent movies, could contrast with classic Kingdom Hearts Disney characters. Whatever approach it takes, Kingdom Hearts 4 could make quite a statement if it pulls off a roster of throwback worlds.
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Kingdom Hearts
