Square Enix has been known to bide its time with all of its games, but especially with theKingdom Heartsseries. It’s a pretty well known meme among fans that at least two or three spin-offs need to release prior to the next mainline release in the franchise. Of course, that thought process wouldn’t have manifested were it not for theKingdom Heartsseries releasing six spin-offs (without even counting re-releases) betweenKingdom Hearts 2andKingdom Hearts 3. Many expectedKingdom Hearts 3was going to be a sort-of finality for the series, but it seems the franchise is still meant to go on rather quickly.
With the series' 20th anniversary approaching in 2022, series director Tetsuya Nomura has teased some big game announcements are in store for 2022. However, things aren’t necessarily the same at Square Enix now, compared to the last decade.Kingdom Heartsis no longer in spin-off limbo, despiteMelody of Memoryreleasing this fall. Many are expecting the 2022 announcement to be the next mainlineKingdom Heartsentry, in some form, and there’s a few reasons why that’s likely. Considering the ending ofKingdom Hearts 3ties up a sizable amount of loose ends, there’s already a relatively clear direction for the series' future at this point.
Expect a Reveal in 2022, Though Nothing Else Until Then
That being said, the most likely release date for the next game has to be mid-to-late 2022. Nomura explicitly stated that theKingdom Heartsseries would be going dormant for a while afterMelody of Memory, leaving some of the story’s cliffhangers up in the air for now. He also stated he’s looking forward to the 20th anniversary to “deliver some kind of good news then,” perhaps hinting at a game reveal of some kind. That could take the form ofsomething likeKingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, acting as an interquel based on whatKingdom Hearts 3’s secret ending teased. Although it’s less likely, that could also mean a true mainline sequel as well.
Anecdotally, there’s also just less of a climate for releasing several different spin-offs in theKingdom Heartsfranchise, now more than ever. For one thing, the patience ofKingdom Heartsfans is at a strange middle ground at this point. Theoretically they’re more open to waiting a few years before hearing any substantialKingdom Heartsnews, but that’s under the impression that any subsequent entry wouldcontinue the story teased fromMelody of Memory’s ending. Other than the existing mobile games likeUnion XandDark Road, there really isn’t much more room for anotherKingdom Heartsspin-off, whether it releases in 2021 or later.
Kingdom Hearts' Forward Momentum, and Time to Kill
There is the tiniest chance that another spin-off game is in the works between now andKingdom Hearts' 20th anniversary, but it’s far less than likely. It’s hard to say what that would even look like, especially after the release ofMelody of Memory.Melody of Memory’s ending directly ties into the teases fromKingdom Hearts 3andReMind’s secret endings. While it’s certainly possible that there’san angle that fans aren’t aware of yet (Foretellers, Master of Masters, etc.), that likely wouldn’t manifest in a completely different spin-off for next year. If anything, it would likely involve the already-existing prequels likeKingdom Hearts Union XandDark Road.
It’s also worth mentioning that Square Enix, and more specifically Tetsuya Nomura, both have a lot on their plates for the foreseeable future. While Nomura is known for heralding theKingdom Heartsseries,he’s also the full-time game director onFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. That means Nomura is in charge of two Square Enix triple-A sequels in the most popular JRPG franchises of all time. Splitting time and development between both franchises is certainly going to command more of Nomura’s time as the director for both, meaning a spin-off as early as next year just wouldn’t make sense.
Overall, a likely reveal date for the nextKingdom Heartsgame would be on July 05, 2025, marking twenty years since the originalKingdom Heartsgame released on PS2. From there it becomes a little iffy, but a potential fall 2022 release wouldn’t be too far off base, consideringKingdom Hearts 3almost released in fall 2018 before being delayed into January.
AKingdom Heartssequel is reportedly in development.
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