As 2025 moves on, there’s still no sign ofKingdom Hearts 4news. 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. EvenKingdom Hearts Missing Linkhas mysteriously gone silent, despite having been subject to closed beta tests in the recent past.Kingdom Hearts 4is still exciting despite its extended absence, but it should remind fans of its presence soon.
In the meantime, speculation onKingdom Hearts 4’s content and story is still ongoing, even with little more than a single teaser trailer and a handful of developer statements. BecauseKingdom Hearts 4has moved into the unreality of Quadratum, it’s not clear what to expect fromKingdom Hearts’usual crossover world structure.Star Warsand Marvel worlds are popular theories, but the door is open to anything. It’s even plausible thatKingdom Hearts 4’s worlds could all be from returning films, albeit with some new twists to make what’s old feel new again.
Reinventing Old Worlds Would Give Kingdom Hearts 4 A Unique Identity
KH4’s Recycled Worlds Would Be High Risk, High Reward
SinceKingdom Hearts 4is 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 newKH-original worlds without new Disney ones may sound counterintuitive, but there’s no better way to prove thatthe Lost Master Arc is distinctfrom what came before than by proving it with old settings that feel new again. The lack of fresh faces will be felt, however, soKingdom Hearts 4would need to ensure its writing is strong enough to tie everything together.
Reception to rampant world reuse will also be mitigated byKingdom Hearts’ own traditions. Plenty of worlds have already transferred betweenKingdom Heartsentries, and several entries share most or all of their worlds with prior ones. Those particular entries mostly consist ofsmaller handheldKingdom Heartsgames likeChain of Memoriesand358/2 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 4doing 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 ofKH4, but it’s arguably equivalent to doing the opposite. Both methods would theoretically introduce the new story direction equally well, and take advantage ofKingdom Hearts 4’s new gameplayand 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 theKingdom Heartstreatment, but there will be time later for them.
Live-Action Versions Of Old KH Worlds Are An Untapped Resource
IfKingdom Hearts 4really 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 thatKingdom Hearts 4would 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 fillan entireKHgame’s world list, and some, like theMaleficentmovies, could contrast with classicKingdom HeartsDisney characters. Whatever approach it takes,Kingdom Hearts 4could make quite a statement if it pulls off a roster of throwback worlds.
