Various new games – and I mean various – have reportedly suffered countless spoilers thanks to a Steam leak that's seen their achievements go entirely public.

From Kingdom Hearts 4 to Persona 6 to Silent Hill: Townfall to… well, you name it, there's a downright plethora of titles seemingly affected by the massive leak on Valve's platform.

You can find lists of every game (and their achievements, be warned) on online forums and websites like Twitter – and it's all so big it's nearly mind-blowing. They're all live on achievement tracker site Exophase, too, but I'd once again caution checking anything out in too much detail.

Not only does the leak apparently expose a load of upcoming games' achievements, but it also lifts the veil on many "unannounced" titles, as users point out in a social media thread on the whole debacle.

There's an "unannounced Dune game" in there, an "unannounced Twin Peaks game," and even a dang "unannounced Shrek 2 Remaster" mentioned, y'all… and, erm… Penis Bird? Put simply, it's one heck of a leak – and not just of games we knew about.

So, how did this all happen in the first place? Well, it seems to boil down to an API error that isn't exactly new to Steam. For anyone who might not know what that means (because I certainly didn't), API stands for application programming interface, and it's essentially a set of rules that allows software programs to communicate.

Exophase owner "x3sphere" has described it a bit over on ResetEra, confirming what happened.

"I am the owner of the site and this is what appears to have happened," he writes. "Seems like a possible screw up on Valve's end, a bunch of games with achievements that should be private are accessible through the API right now and that's why they got scanned into the site. I usually never see games without an actual name pop up with achievements, yet over the past hour or so a bunch have."

Oof.

Valve has yet to respond itself, but I'm not sure it will aside from remedying the apparent private information from each game. As for studios like Sega and Square Enix which have seemingly seen their unreleased games go a bit more public, I doubt we'll hear anything, either.

So, there you have it – you can go explore the findings yourself if you're interested it, but after taking a peek at the alleged Persona 6 achievements myself, I can say I sort of wish I hadn't.

Spoilers, spoilers everywhere… and I shan't be sharing them here.

Kingdom Hearts 4 script "almost twice as big" as KH3's, Tetsuya Nomura says: "There were more parts that I wanted to include, but I was already pushing it."

Kingdom Hearts series writer and director Tetsuya Nomura says the script for the upcoming fourth entry in the series is almost twice as long as the last numbered entry, and yet there were still more parts he wanted to include but was unable to.

In an interview with Famitsu that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Nomura talks about the voice actors and recording schedule for Kingdom Hearts 4. The Japanese voice cast is apparently already complete, while the English cast is reportedly 60 - 70% through their parts.

This is particularly impressive given Nomura's comments on the length of the script he wrote for the long-awaited game. "The size of the script for this game is almost twice as big as that of Kingdom Hearts 3, so this made the [voice] recording schedule really difficult," he explains.

Despite the increased length of the script compared to its predecessor, there were still parts Nomura wanted to add but had to cut for time. "There were more parts that I wanted to include, but I was already pushing it," he says.

While there will be more dialogue than in previous entries, that doesn't mean the game will be bigger or longer. In fact, in the same interview, the director says the game won't feature a large number of Disney worlds, so the team is being selective about the number of different settings they show.

Kingdom Hearts 4 "will be ready well before the release date," Tetsuya Nomura says, as the JRPG's development is going smoother than it has "in the history" of the series

Kingdom Hearts 4 leads Tetsuya Nomura and Tai Yasue are exceptionally confident that the game will meet its target of a 2027 release. The pair even make comments that development has been the smoothest in the series' history and that it will be ready well in advance.

The gaming industry is no stranger to delays, and when people have had to wait a particularly long time between games, it can be a blow to fans to see the release date pushed back. However, series director Nomura and co-director Yasue seem extremely confident that Kingdom Hearts 4 will make it out in time for its late-2027 release window.

In an interview with Famitsu, translated by GamesRadar+, the pair discuss the long-awaited fourth numbered entry's release date. "The team is very particular, sometimes they are more particular about things than even I am," says Nomura. "However, as I mentioned in the [D23] panel, the release window won't be delayed."

Yasue also chimes in with an update on development. "Progress is going smoother than it has in the history of the Kingdom Hearts series," he says. "I think you can rest assured about this." The pair have squashed rumors of a Kingdom Hearts 4 delay before, but this is the first time they've given such clear reasons for their confidence.

"It will be ready well before the release date," says Nomura. "We don't expect to even go into our buffer time. That's the reason I'm returning to Japan so quickly."

It's rare to see a release date given with such absolute confidence, so we can very much expect to see more from Sora before the end of 2027.

Disney isn't stopping with Kingdom Hearts 4 and a new anime, as "there are so many things we want to do" with the 25-year-old JRPG series

Kingdom Hearts Collection 1 - 3 pre-orders have arrived physically on both the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, giving you the key to unlock and play almost the entire iconic game series.

Launching on October 8 later this year, this collection packs in everything from Kingdom Hearts Final Mix through to Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mind (DLC), so you can get caught up ahead of the release of Kingdom Hearts 4 in late 2027. Picking up either version of the game for $74.99 at Amazon in the US will also grant you access to exclusive in-game keyblades and a free exclusive poster too, though I can't say for certain that the alleged generative AI artwork will come with it.

The official listings box art fortunately no longer shows an image of Donald Duck with an inconsistent number of fingers and blurry clock towers. However, the marketing image of the poster attached to the Amazon listing bears a resemblance to that original (and questionable) artwork. On the positive side, this is a double-sided poster, so you can turn it around and display the art to the first Kingdom Hearts game if that's what you prefer. Bizarre artwork or not, I've gathered the best Kingdom Hearts Collection 1-3 shopping links below so you can have a simple and clean pre-order experience.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the marketing image showing off the double-sided poster just hasn't been amended alongside the box art for the Kingdom Hearts Collection. However, we'll have to wait and see come launch day on October 8, 2026, to know for sure.

I'm just thankful that the strange original cover, which Square Enix stated was the result of "human error" has been changed for the physical games themselves. Hopefully, that should result in no strange-looking clock towers once your copy arrives at your door this spooky season. That being said, whether any strange artifacts from the original cover art will be apparent at all remains to be seen. I'm still side-eyeing the entire illustration myself, which is why I've yet to pre-order the collection. Time will certainly tell.

As a heads up, it appears you can only get that poster if you pre-order the collection through US Amazon. However, you'll still get access to the Midnight Blue and Long Night platform-exclusive Keyblades (depending on the platform) and a reversible inlay, which includes a 25th anniversary design no matter where you grab your physical copy of the game.

• View all Kingdom Hearts games at Amazon

We're also rounding up the latest Stage Tour pre-orders, Marvel's Wolverine pre-orders, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 pre-orders for you to check out.

Duskfade is a new indie love letter to some classic PS2 action platformers, Kingdom Hearts included. And, now, a Kingdom Hearts modder had made the Kingdom Hearts-like even more like Kingdom Hearts.

The developers of Duskfade have been pretty open about their inspirations in the past. It's a fast-paced action game where you swing a big sort-of Keyblade and fight shadowy, sort-of Heartless enemies across bright levels, with some light RPG progression and platforming sections in between.

Heck, there's even a handful of overt Kingdom Heart references littered in the game itself - one achievement is literally called Heartless, for example. b despite all the references and influences and similarities, Duskfade is still distinct enough to be its own thing... until one modder got involved, that is.

Modder Dallin1016 recently dressed up the game's main character Zirian in the iconic red outfit that Sora wore in the first Kingdom Hearts game. The mod (here on NexusMods) also comes with the option to replace Zirian's spiky hairdo with Sora's, and another mod completes the package by replacing Zirian's legally distinct Keyblade with an actual Keyblade.

Together, the mods turn Duskfade into an even cozier throwback for fans of the Kingdom Hearts series. Squint hard enough and you might not even be able to tell the difference - the distinct lack of Donald quacking every five seconds might be a giveaway, to be fair.

Modder Dallin1016's put in a bunch of good work elsewhere, too. One work-in-progress mod adds in Wuhu Island from Wii Sports Resort, of all things, as an explorable map in Duskfade. Another of their Kingdom Hearts 3 mods calls itself the most cursed one in series' history, and I really can't argue with that. Please, just look at Jigglypuff's head transplanted onto Davy Jones' body.

Duskfade itself is pretty great with or without the mods - on Steam, the game has an 89% 'Very Positive' rating. A great appetizer before Kingdom Hearts 4 comes out next year, I reckon.

Kingdom Hearts 4 lead Tetsuya Nomura plays 4D chess, potentially drops hints his canceled Final Fantasy game could somehow connect to the next RPG

Tetsuya Nomura's been sliding Final Fantasy Versus 13 references through the backdoor of Kingdom Hearts for years. And in the most on-brand move for the puzzling developer, even his clothes are now potentially dropping hints about how the canceled Final Fantasy game could connect to Kingdom Hearts 4.

Last week put an end to the Kingdom Hearts 4 news drought with Square Enix announcing that Pixar's Coco will feature in the game, alongside playable King Mickey sections that are more focused on papercraft puzzles than the series' signature floaty combat.

But perhaps the most notable and brain-scratching tidbit actually came from a shirt that series co-creator Tetsuya Nomura wore to a D23 panel discussing the game. Stick with me now. His plain black shirt had one simple logo printed on top: 'Black Honey Chili Cookie.'

Real sickos might recognize Black Honey Chili Cookie as a fashion brand that appears in NEO: The World Ends With You, a beloved but overlooked JRPG that Nomura was heavily involved in as well. Of course, characters from the original The World Ends With You game have appeared in the Kingdom Hearts series before. Since The World Ends With You is set in Tokyo and Kingdom Hearts 4 sends us to an alternate version of the city, there's a very real chance those characters could return in next year's sequel.

How does any of this relate to Final Fantasy Versus 13, the game Nomura was supposed to direct before it was repurposed into Final Fantasy 15? Well, here's where we enter a potentially fruitless rabbit hole.

The in-game shopkeeper of the Black Honey Chilli Cookie store is called Hiromu Takahara. Not so coincidentally, Hiromu Takahara also happens to be the name of the in-real-life fashion designer behind Final Fantasy Versus 13's (and Final Fantasy 15's) cast of characters. Hiromu Takahara's inclusion in The World Ends With You was a heart warming tribute to Tetsuya Nomura's once creative collaborator at the time – the Black Honey t-shirt is potentially something more.

Wouldn't you have guessed it? Things get even more loopy from here. In the days since Kingdom Hearts 4's Coco trailer, series fans have been combing over every frame for clues and found striking similarities between the city guards in Kingdom Hearts 4 and Final Fantasy 15. The design of the military airships in both games are almost an exact mirror of each other, too.

YouTuber The Night Sky Prince theorizes there's a method behind the madness and there might even be some parallels between Kingdom Hearts 4's narrative and the story Final Fantasy Versus 13 was supposed to tell. A foreign invasion of Kingdom Hearts' Tokyo could be what spurs the series' shadowy Heartless to begin wreaking havoc in the city, in the same way that the Empire of Niflheim spreads their own daemons across Final Fantasy 15 world, on top of whatever meta clues Nomura may sneak into the game.

While the theory is convoluted and requires a lot of background knowledge to understand, I'm convinced because it's also perfectly in line with Kingdom Hearts' already twisty-turvy, sometimes non-sensical lore. It wouldn't be the first time Nomura's referenced FF Versus 13 with all the subtlety of a bulldozer, either – the man seemingly can't let go of his baby. But I also wouldn't rule out the possibility this is all just a red herring that Kingdom Hearts fans, me included, are reading way too much into, as usual.

Whether the references are just references or something more remains to be seen. We'll find out when Kingdom Hearts 4 "100%" comes out next year.

Kingdom Hearts 4 references a bit of OG lore so obscure I wouldn't have blamed Tetsuya Nomura for forgetting it.

Kingdom Hearts lead Tetsuya Nomura says that Pixar's Coco was chosen as a Disney world in Kingdom Hearts 4 as it was the best fit for Sora's story.

Speaking at the Kingdom Hearts D23 panel (via Genki_JPN on Twitter), after the reveal that The Land of the Dead from Pixar's Coco is the first Disney world featured in the upcoming Square Enix RPG Nomura spoke about world selections.

"Whenever I do have a chance to decide that we absolutely need to include a certain world. I generally think about how well it synergizes with overall the main story progression with Sora" he explains. And that with Kingdom Hearts 4, Nomura adds, "when I thought about the themes, we felt that Coco would be the best world that would help achieve that goal."

Spoilers for Kingdom Hearts 3 (and potentially 4, I guess) to follow.

Okay, so from my understanding as someone who has not played Kingdom Hearts 3 yet (I'm trying to make my way through all of the non-numbered entries between 2 and 3 as intended) Sora sort of dies at the end of the game by being banished from his reality, before awakening in the realistic world seen in trailers for Kingdom Hearts 4, this is known as the Quadratum, which acts as an afterlife.

Not only that, but fans speculate Sora has lost his memories in Kingdom Hearts 4, due to him fainting when seeing visions of Goofy and Donald. This then ties into the Coco world. The latest trailer opens with Hector explaining that people disappear from the afterlife when forgotten (like in the film), which seems like a pretty intentional thing to open with, especially if this theory is true.

Part of the reason the first Kingdom Hearts is my favourite in the series is mostly down to how much the Disney side was integrated into the main plot – which is something I've seen as a major complaint with Kingdom Hearts 3 – so if that's the case again with 4, it's certainly an exciting prospect. But at the same time, I really want the most esoteric crossovers possible to happen with Disney's massive library. Give me an Arlen, Texas world where Sora teams up with Hank and Bobby Hill to stop the heartless from taking over Strickland Propane, I beg of you.

Kingdom Hearts 4's Goofy and Donald are playable for the first time ever, and Mickey's Paper Mario-style sections are "very different from Sora's adventure"

Kingdom Hearts lore is extensive, convoluted, and confusing. I don't mean that as a dig – I am a Metal Gear fan, after all – but even after playing every game in the series, I've still got to read a half-dozen wiki pages and watch a few lore videos before I start remembering the specifics of any given plot beat. That's why I'm so impressed that Tetsuya Nomura and the rest of the devs have managed to remember a small, but key detail about Heartless behavior in Kingdom Hearts 4.

The first Disney world announced for Kingdom Hearts 4 is Pixar's Coco, In the recent D23 trailer, we see a pair of Heartless emerge and start creeping toward the film's protagonist, Miguel, who is the only living person in the vicinity – they completely ignore the other denizens of the Land of the Dead.

A couple of days after that trailer debuted, a Kingdom Hearts fan called Noir LilBomber tweeted a theory: "One thing me and my friends noticed in the kingdom hearts 4 trailer is that the heartless only appear to react to Miguel and not the other characters. This is in line with the Ansem report from KH1 that stated the heartless only react to LIVING test subjects."

This theory started getting shared pretty widely among the fandom, and yes, that detail goes back to Ansem's Report 4, which appeared in the first Kingdom Hearts game. "The Heartless appear in groups, and are multiplying rapidly. I've provided them both living and nonliving samples," the report goes. "They've responded only to the living."

This detail actually manifests in a more meaningful way in the OG game, too. When Sora and the crew first arrive in Halloween Town, the Heartless are basically inert, and don't attack the largely undead Nightmare Before Christmas characters there. It's only after Skellington and Dr. Finkelstein build an artificial heart for the Heartless to pine after that they turn violent.

So it's entirely consistent with established lore that the Heatless appearing in the Land of the Dead are only interested in the one living being they see: Miguel. Honestly, bravo to Nomura and the rest of the crew. I doubt many would've noticed if that detail was swept under the rug, but the devs are clearly committed to making sure even the most obscure bits of Kingdom Hearts lore live on in the long-awaited sequel.

These are the best RPGs you can play today.

Chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios Jared Bush is giving fans faint hope regarding a Kingdom Hearts movie.

When pressed by IGN on whether a Kingdom Hearts movie could happen, Bush replied, "I'd say I am always excited to hear what people are passionate about. We have a very bright future of new projects coming out, different ways of putting material out into the world. I'd just say nothing is impossible."

Even without a Kingdom Hearts movie on the horizon, we're currently living through the most active production cycle the franchise has seen in decades.

At D23, Kingdom Hearts 4 was officially locked in for a 'late 2027' window and a delay is "not happening." We even caught a glimpse of a Coco-themed world for Sora to fight his way through, with creator Tetsuya Nomura teasing the fourth mainline entry in the series will feature something that didn't make it into Kingdom Hearts 3.

"When it comes to the overall game design, for Kingdom Hearts 4 there's actually an idea that we had since Kingdom Hearts 3, that we weren't able to realize just because of certain difficulties," Nomura said during D23's Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts panel. "But we were able to realize that with this installment. For us, we think it's a very, very exciting idea and so I do hope people look forward to it."

A Kingdom Hearts anime is also in the works at Disney, with Nomura pointing fans towards the first piece of key art if they want a "hint" at what the original story will be about.

For more, check out the new anime in the works, plus everything announced at D23.

The official Kingdom Hearts social media accounts have paid tribute to American actor Hayden Panettiere, the voice behind Kairi in the earliest games in the RPG series, after her death at age 36.

Panettiere held numerous iconic roles throughout her career, both on screen and in video games. From Princess Dot in A Bug's Life to Kirby Reed in the Scream series, Sam in Until Dawn, and Kairi in Kingdom Hearts 1, 2, and Birth by Sleep (as well as Xion in Dream Drop Distance), she's had a massive impact on many franchises.

Now, the official Kingdom Hearts account on Twitter and Bluesky has paid tribute to Panettiere, sending condolences to her friends and family.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Hayden Panettiere," a statement begins. "Through her performance as Kairi, Hayden brought warmth, heart, and an unforgettable voice to the Kingdom Hearts series.

"Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and loved ones," it concludes.

Supermassive Games, the studio behind Until Dawn, has shared a similar sentiment, spotlighting her work in turning Sam "into one of horror gaming's most iconic final girls" in the 2015 game – one that'd go on to get a remake in 2024, as well as a movie adaptation last year.

"We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Hayden Panettiere," the devs say. "Hayden brought Sam to life in Until Dawn, shaping her into one of horror gaming's most iconic final girls. Our thoughts are with her friends, family, and our community. Rest in peace, Hayden."

After all the D23 reveals, we're finally starting to get a sense of what Kingdom Hearts 4 will look like, and series lead Tetsuya Nomura is already teasing further mysteries to be revealed. Apparently, the devs had an idea during the development of Kingdom Hearts 3 that's gone unrealized since that game launched in 2019, and they're finally getting to bring it to life in Kingdom Hearts 4. Personally? My money's on Star Wars.

During the Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts panel at D23, which has been archived by YouTube channels like SpottinGames, the developers discussed the advantages of creating worlds based on general concepts rather than specific movie stories. Disney Town, for example, was an opportunity for the devs to build a world around the vibes of Toontown in Disneyland, with more freedom to define in-game world's layout and flow.

"Imagining something new based off of, solely, a certain type of concept certainly is something that's very fun and enjoyable," Nomura says. "It's also, in some ways, less daunting because there's no expectation of having to replicate something exactly as it is. It also gives us more freedom to incorporate a variety of gimmicks that we're thinking about. It's also a lot easier to incorporate from a narrative perspective, too. So it's a very versatile approach with many advantages."

Nomura took this opportunity to jump into a further tease for fans: "When it comes to the overall game design, for Kingdom Hearts 4 there's actually an idea that we had since Kingdom Hearts 3, that we weren't able to realize just because of certain difficulties. But we were able to realize that with this installment. For us, we think it's a very, very exciting idea and so I do hope people look forward to it."

Like I mentioned earlier, I'm convinced that this idea is one for a Star Wars world. The timing makes sense, as Kingdom Hearts 3 was the first major entry in the series to be released after Disney's acquisition of the property. Those hints at "certain difficulties" also line up, as Disney may have been a little more protective of Star Wars' image before 2019, when the franchise hadn't yet been the subject of multiple Fortnite collabs and other crossovers. Star Wars also presents a wide array of possibilities for unique in-game worlds that don't have to be tied to a specific set of characters from the films.

That, of course, is pure speculation on my part, but rumors of a Star Wars world have persisted since some of our earliest glimpses of Kingdom Hearts 4 in 2022, when a teaser appeared to show the foot of an AT-ST on the forest moon of Endor. I guess we've still got to wait a little bit longer to find out whether Sora is heading to that galaxy far, far away.

Kingdom Hearts 4 delay "is not happening," Tetsuya Nomura says after fans immediately doubt the RPG's late 2027 launch window: "I want to set the record straight."

Amid a deep sale and the biggest news drop for Kingdom Hearts 4 to date, the series collection became the top-selling paid game on Steam.

At last weekend's D23 event, Kingdom Hearts 4 got its biggest batch of new info to date with a new trailer that confirmed the first Disney world for the upcoming Square Enix RPG will be none other than The Land of the Dead from Pixar's Coco, with Miguel and Hector joining Sora's party. Alongside that, we got confirmation that we'll be able to play as Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in the game. Not to mention, there's a Kingdom Hearts anime series coming to Disney+.

Clearly, the hype from the series' massive fanbase was somewhat contagious, as the series' first collection, Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 Remix (which collects four games and two games turned into movies), has been tearing it up on Steam. Helped along by a huge discount which brings the 1.5+2.5 collection down to $14.99 / £11.99, as well as a discount on Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece, which features fellow collection Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mind DLC for $29.99 | £25.49, giving you (almost) the entire franchise for under $30.

The hype and the sale have done wonders, as the series has skyrocketed over on Steam, as Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 Remix has become the top-selling game on Steam (not counting free-to-play titles like Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, and Dota 2). And now begins the race to play every single one of those games before late 2027, because they all matter to the lore, and don't bank on a delay either, as Tetsuya Nomura says one is "not happening"

As Kingdom Hearts 4 fans await an update at D23, Disney says the JRPG series is now a $1 billion franchise

In a promise that could fill ravenous Kingdom Hearts 4 fans with hope or simply age very poorly, the RPG's lead says the game will definitely not be delayed and will meet its late 2027 launch window.

Over the weekend, Kingdom Hearts 4 hopefuls were finally rewarded for their years of patience with a new trailer as well as the confirmation that the RPG is set to launch at the end of next year. Until recently, news on the game had been almost nonexistent since its reveal over four years ago, so you can understand why some folks think that the end now being in sight is a bit too good to be true.

However, series director Tetsuya Nomura and Kingdom Hearts 4 co-director Tai Yasue want to squash any of those worries right now. Speaking at D23, Nomura acknowledges the immediate speculation from fans that "the release date might still get pushed back" before launch, saying: "I want to set the record straight: That is not happening."

Nomura reiterates the plan to release Kingdom Hearts 4 in late 2027, adding that "a lot of the marketing for the game has only just started, and so I do hope that people also look forward to hearing more news as well." In other words, it seems, Square Enix isn't just going to go radio silent until launch, either, so we can get excited for more trailers and the like.

Yasue doubles down on Nomura's statement as he proclaims, "I can confidently say and promise that it will launch in 2027," adding: "Schedule-wise, the development is very smooth. It's not like an 80%, 90% – it's a 100% thing. We'll be there in 2027 for sure."

Obviously, no game developer is ever going to follow their big release window announcement with comments suggesting that things are looking a bit shaky behind the scenes, and the team might not actually make the deadline they just publicly announced, but to so boldly promise no delays like this certainly suggests a high level of confidence. With that said, we've seen similar things said before and fans have still been burned – just look at GTA 6, and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick saying in early 2025 that "we feel really good" about it launching that year… before it was delayed. …Twice.

Kingdom Hearts 4's Goofy and Donald are playable for the first time ever, and Mickey's Paper Mario-style sections are "very different from Sora's adventure."

Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura says a "hint" for the anime's premise is hiding in its first artwork, and it's exactly the sort of clue-hunting and obscure narrative tease that I want from one of my favorite game franchises.

At D23, the surprise announcement of a Kingdom Hearts anime was made. True to form with the crossover Disney series, very little detail was attached – save for the first key art, which you can see below.

According to Nomura, however, the figure (who may or may not be Sora) is the key to unlocking the mysteries of the upcoming anime.

"I imagine you're surprised by this sudden announcement. Some of you may be wondering, 'What will it be about?'" Nomura offered on Twitter.

"We can't discuss all the details just yet, but I've been in close discussions with the scenario team, including myself, and when needed, we've also enlisted the art team's cooperation, even creating multiple new character designs specifically for this project. I can't say anything more right now, but the hint is in the single piece of key art that's been revealed. Please let your imaginations run wild while you await further updates."

For the uninitiated, Kingdom Hearts revolves around the coming-of-age journey of teenage boy Sora and his friends, Riku and Kairi.

Once tied to their home of Destiny Islands, they are suddenly thrust on a journey to stop evil across several Disney worlds, flanked by familiar characters and allies such as Donald, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse.

But that's just the start. What begins as a fairly basic run through the plots of Disney movies soon transforms into a wild (and frequently maddening) tale of surrogate bodies, evil organizations, time travel, and lost realms.

By the time we reach Kingdom Hearts 3, many may have fell off the lore train, such was its increasingly knotty and dense nature. The trilogy didn't even wrap in satisfying fashion; sacrilege to some, but a joy for someone like me who delights in hearing Nomura has hidden story beats for the series in a Japan-exclusive hotel (yes, that really happened).

Kingdom Hearts 4 may be next up, but it's the anime that has me more intrigued.

After all, that project has been in development for several years and it was announced at D23 that the next instalment would finally be released in late 2027. Answers, then, are just around the corner. Boo.

A trailer teased more of the next step in Sora's journey, including a stopover in a Coco-themed world. That suggests we're getting slightly more traditional fare in line with the first Kingdom Hearts for at least its first act.

But I want to embrace the weirdness, madness, and years of theorycraft.

The Kingdom Hearts anime's key art is just unknowable enough to kickstart another journey that promises to prove frustratingly obtuse and joyously cathartic at the same time. Is it a prequel? Sequel? Both? All is possible with Kingdom Hearts. I can't wait to see what Nomura and company are cooking with this anime.

For more, check out other new anime in the works, plus all the upcoming PS5 games just over the horizon.

Kingdom Hearts 4 fans wished for rain and got a flood at this weekend's D23 event with a release window trailer, the announcement of a Disney Plus anime, and now, new details about the game's playable King Mickey sections that heavily echo Paper Mario. Oh, and we'll also get to control Donald Duck and Goofy for the first time ever in a mainline game.

People who exist in the venn diagram centre of Disney movie fanatic and JRPG connoisseur will be pleased to know that publisher Square Enix released an extended trailer last night, showing off more from Kingdom Heart 4's Coco world and beyond. Sora has a phone now. City guards who resemble Final Fantasy 15's are here for some reason. Mickey's trying to solve a mystery while exploring the pages of a magical book. And 13 games later, we can finally force Donald to heal, damn it, by playing as him and Goofy directly.

In a deep dive panel, Kingdom Hearts 4 co-director Tai Yasue elaborated on Mickey's sections a little further. We see the Disney icon transform into a 2D paper cut out and a hulking origami to move around, and Yasue says the developers employed a "sort of puzzle-based game design that's very different from Sora's adventure, and I think it's really refreshing and interesting."

"So in this world you get to play with Mickey and you jump into a book [that's] like a paper world," Yasue explains. "And so Mickey in this paper world recreates origami paper copies of himself, and you could create paper-thin Mickeys, giant Mickeys, a tiny Mickey, box Mickeys. When you're a paper thin Mickey, [you can] go through the cracks on the walls, for example. If you throw him he becomes a paper airplane [and] you fly around. And by utilizing these special abilities of these copies of origami Mickeys, you can solve puzzles."

Contorting yourself into different papery forms definitely reminds me of the type of puzzles present in Nintendo's Paper Mario games, but it oddly seems to fit Kingdom Hearts' whole vibe too - the first game was, at least partially, inspired by Super Mario 64, after all.

Kingdom Hearts 4 is set to come out late 2027 for PC, PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S.

"Please let your imaginations run wild" - The Kingdom Hearts 4 team and Tetsuya Nomura are involved in the new Disney Plus anime

Just in case there was ever any doubt, the newly announced Kingdom Hearts anime series coming to Disney Plus is bringing on board the Kingdom Hearts 4 development team and the series' co-creator Tetsuya Nomura, who says fans should "let your imaginations run wild."

Announced last night at the D23 Disney Entertainment Showcase panel, the Kingdom Hearts anime is telling an original story within the universe-hopping world of the games. Details were very light outside of a mysterious bit of art work depicting a mysterious Keyblade wielder's silhouette.

But series co-creator and frequent game director Tetsuya Nomura has given fans an update in his usually enigmatic style. "The production of a Kingdom Hearts animated series has been confirmed," he writes in a memo to fans. "I imagine you're surprised by this sudden announcement. Some of you may be wondering, 'What will it be about?'"

Nomura notes that he can't disclose any concrete details for now, but he confirms he's been "in close discussions with the scenario team" behind the anime project, which has also enlisted the help of Kingdom Hearts 4's developers. Specifically, the art team created "multiple new character designs specifically for this project."

"I can't say anything more right now, but the hint is in the single piece of key art that's been revealed. Please let your imaginations run wild while you await further updates," Nomura teases.

Kingdom Hearts fans frequently let their imaginations run wild, anyway, but rarely are they this directly encouraged to do so by Tetsuya Nomura. Regardless, the game series has built up a massive world with a long history. The show could take place ages before Sora and his friends were even born, it could have us follow a different Keyblade wielder dealing with the same darkness that swallowed Sora's island, or it could be something else entirely. You heard Nomura.

Kingdom Hearts 4 finally comes out "late 2027," and Pixar's Coco joins the JRPG as the first Disney world announced so far

Ending a years-long wait between games, Kingdom Hearts 4 is set to come out in late 2027 and we finally have a glimpse at its first official Disney world: Pixar's Coco.

During yesterday's Disney Entertainment Showcase panel during D23, the company surprise dropped a brand new trailer for the long-awaited Square Enix JRPG. We see grown-up Sora defeating Heartless monsters in a gorgeous recreation of The Land of the Dead, with full-on makeup and a themed Keyblade to match. Take a look below.

The D23 trailer is surprisingly hefty with new looks at combat, team-up attacks, and our first proper in-game look at his short highness King Mickey. Donald Duck and Goofy are still in the same place we saw them last time, more or less - pestering Hades (the Hercules baddie) in an effort to find Sora, who seems to be relegated to his own land of the dead in the more modern city of Quadratum.

And then there's the kicker at the end: coming "late 2027" to PC, PS5, Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S. Eight years since the last mainline game and five years after Kingdom Hearts 4's reveal. Phew.

Should the multiversal Disney romp stick to the release window, it'll be a huge year for publisher Square Enix with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, Final Fantasy 14 Evercold, and, fingers crossed, this.

A Kingdom Hearts 4 storefront page is also now available on every platform the game is, in case you wanted to wishlist it. New details are light but we do have a brief blurb about the game's combat, per Steam: "The dynamic, fast-paced battle system allows you to effortlessly combine attacks and magic, as well as build combos with a brand-new battle feature. Change the Keyblade Sora wields to unleash unique attacks, matching the flow of battle to your own strategies and play style."

Kingdom Hearts anime series in the works at Disney Plus

Kingdom Hearts 4 may be imminent, but Disney's plans for the universes-colliding RPG series now extend beyond video games, as the Mouse House has announced a Kingdom Hearts anime series is in the works at Disney Plus.

The news arrived at Disney's semi-regular convention D23, where not only was it revealed that the land of the dead from Coco will be a new world in Kingdom Hearts 4, but also that a Kingdom Hearts anime series is 'coming soon' to Disney Plus. Beyond that, details were scant beyond the fact it will tell an original story, and not adapt any of the games. We also got some teaser art featuring Sora and the Keyblade, which you can check out below.

Recently, Disney revealed that the Kingdom Hearts franchise is one of nine to have made over $1 billion for the Mickey Corporation, so it makes sense why a multimedia expansion is underway. Precisely what the show will be about is anyone's guess right now, perhaps we'll get more news at the D23 Kingdom Hearts panel.

Kingdom Hearts 4 finally got a long-awaited new trailer this summer. Stay tuned for further coverage of the Kingdom Hearts D23 panel across the weekend, where more news and perhaps a fresh look are expected.

Kingdom Hearts is coming soon to Disney Plus. While we wait, check out our list of all the new anime heading our way across the year (and beyond).

Disney has nine game franchises that have made over $1 billion, and Kingdom Hearts is one of them, which should hopefully raise the chances of seeing Kingdom Hearts 4 at this weekend's D23 panel.

Disney's executive vice president of global games, Sean Shoptaw, recently announced the firm holds "nine games that have grossed over $1 billion at retail" and emphasized the importance of "telling truly original stories that really are unique to this medium, specifically."

The Disney exec didn't list all nine of the company's $1 billion gaming franchises, but he did single out Kingdom Hearts and Marvel Strike Force as examples.

The Square Enix series has been putting clown-footed anime protagonists into the background of iconic Disney scenes for about 24 years and 13 games, so it's likely Kingdom Hearts grossed a modest $1 billion a while ago, but this is the first time the company has publicly given the series its flowers in this fashion.

And the timing couldn't be more perfect - especially if, like me, you've been patiently waiting for more Kingdom Hearts 4 news since its reveal 1,587 days ago... or something... not that I've been counting.

The long-awaited sequel finally reared its head with a new trailer earlier this summer, and fans are convinced that another look is right around the corner at this weekend's The Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts D23 panel, owing to the fact that the game's co-director and cast are confirmed to be in attendance. We still haven't seen any actual Disney worlds in the Disney crossover project - now's a good a time as any to show Sora punching up with Peter Griffin, then.

Last we heard, Kingdom Hearts had sold over 38 million copies over its entire history. That was just before Square Enix put out a mammoth All-In-One Package full of re-releases last year, and then another re-release package with this year's Kingdom Hearts Collection.

Further proving Kingdom Hearts' existence is a miracle, ex-Disney CEO says he can't even remember why he greenlit the JRPG in the first place

Kingdom Hearts is receiving a retrospective showcase at D23 2026, Disney's massive celebration for all the magic it's had its hand in creating, and I'm very excited. I've been obsessed with the series ever since a friend at school whispered to me in maths class a whole 22 years ago, "Hey, you know there's a game that crosses over Disney and Final Fantasy into one, right?"

That blew my mind as an obsessive fan of both, and ever since, I've longed to bask in as much Kingdom Hearts-ness as I can get my hands on. Yet, out of all the games and best toys that have alluded me the most, it's Bandai's Proplica Key Blade Kingdom Chain that I covet every single day. Like the rest of the Proplica line, it was a replica of Sora's iconic weapon that launched in April 2018 for 20,350 yen (roughly $127.80), and it not only looked like the real thing, but it lit up and even projected a key hole on the wall, so you could pretend you were sealing your own Disney world. It doesn't get much better than that.

Bandai went the extra mile by equipping their Proplica Keyblade with three modes: attack mode, magic mode, and key mode. Attack mode made the replica emit sounds from the game, so you could swipe at the open air and pretend you're Sora, hacking and slashing your way through hordes of Heartless.

According to Bandai's official blog post shared on April 26, 2018, holding down a button on the blade would result in a flow of sounds, or pressing it continuously would allow them to emit randomly. I'm not sure if, like the brand's Proplica Master Sword that I do have in my collection, the sounds correlated to your every movement, but if they were to give this a re-release, that'd be a neat upgrade to have from the get-go.

Besides attack mode, you had my favorite mode of all, magic mode, which is one of the key reasons (excuse the pun) why I covet this toy. With this mode, pressing and holding the button hidden within the blade's hilt would allow you to cycle through spells from the game, including Fire, Blizzard, and what the English-text version of the site calls sander, aqua, cial, and gravide. I can only assume that they're referring to Sora's Thunder, Cure, Aero, and Gravity magic. For the spells, the base of the blade glows the corresponding color, eg red for fire, blue for blizzard, and plays their in-game sound effect simultaneously. It's an incredible feature judging from the Bandai Tamashii Nations Proplica Keyblade YouTube video I was able to find online, which I only wish I could witness in person.

Key mode is likely the one other fans will fawned over at the time. As I mentioned above, it projected a keyhole on any wall or surface. That's not the best part, as holding the button will project it and play the sound effect that emits in the original game whenever Sora seals a Disney world. I'm a full-grown 35-year-old adult, but I can entirely foresee myself welling up with tears if I were to get this toy and witness this in person.

In fact, the entire thing would likely result in me becoming a teary mess, as I adore Kingdom Hearts and have dreamed of owning this piece of toy history. At the moment, my Proplica collection consists of Sheryl Nome's microphone from Macross Frontier, and the Master Sword, but it's the Proplica Keyblade that I've been yearning to own the most. The only problem is that it's long out of stock, is no longer being manufactured anymore, and can reach close to (and even over) $1K on eBay, and other second-hand websites. I don't have a thousand Munny to drop on a piece of merch alone, so instead I dream for a re-release that I can pre-order to prevent giving resellers the time of day.

If you thought you did see a re-release of this toy last year, you aren't entirely wrong. Bandai released a smaller, 20-inch Key Blade, which was available to pre-order for $146.99 at BigBadToyStore and comes with its own set of lighting and sound effects. While smaller than the older release, this version's Magic Mode emits lighting at the end of the key and has a Music Mode, which felt sorely missing from the older version.

The Music Mode allows the prop to play the iconic Dearly Beloved track, along with the 'Sora' song from the game series, which is pretty neat. I've known about this version for a while, but as much as I long for an official Key Blade replica, I ignored pre-orders simply for the fact that I wanted one that felt more true to size. Really, I should have just gone for it, as this is likely to become another Kingdom Hearts collectible destined as reseller fodder on eBay, but it just wasn't what I was looking for.

I have a dream of displaying my Proplica Master Sword alongside a realistically sized Keyblade crossed over one another on the wall, and something smaller just won't do the job. It's a silly nitpick, but here's hoping that if they can release another one, and Square Enix can release a replica of Kingdom Hearts Donald Duck's Mage Staff for $62.13 at Aitai Kuji, they can give the original another go. With D23 2026 incoming and Kingdom Hearts 4 on the horizon, who knows what the future holds.

• View all Kingdom Hearts merch at Amazon

Are you a big Disney fan? Check out what our toy expert Benjamin Abbott has to say about the Disney Castle Lego set.

It's looking likely that we could be getting another look at Kingdom Hearts 4 this month. The franchise is set for a retrospective showcase at D23, and some potential panelists have been revealed, increasing the odds that the latest installment will be part of proceedings in some capacity.

The Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts panel will take place on August 15, and thanks to the D23 app, we now know three possible participants (thanks, Kingdom Hearts Insider). Haley Joel Osment will be at the event, an expected presence since he's the voice of protagonist Sora as well as the villain Vanitas.

He's being joined by David Gallagher, the voice of Riku, another unsurprising attendee. But the third person listed is an exciting one: Tai Yasue, the co-director of Kingdom Hearts 4.

Now, Yasue also co-directed Kingdom Hearts 3 and a bunch of the spin-offs, including Birth by Sleep and Dream Drop Distance, making him a tenured voice on the property's development, but it's convenient he can speak to the upcoming sequel, too. This could be the first time we hear a lead dev speak on Sora, Donald and Goofy's next misadventure, if it happens, but I should note they're all just listed for D23 in general and not tied to any specific showcase.

Thus far, we've just two trailers. And though it's exciting, it's been difficult to fully contextualize (Kingdom Hearts being obtuse, shocking right?), so it'll be helpful to get some insights into where the narrative is going and what roles some of the characters will be playing.

There's no release window yet for the next mainline installment, and I wouldn't expect one at D23. A showcase handled specifically by Square Enix is much more likely for that information, but we may get a little more footage alongside whatever the panelists can tell us. We've come a long way from sealing the darkness in Wonderland and the Deep Jungle, and the road forward continues unabated.

Canceled Kingdom Hearts spin-off's intro apparently leaks online and not even veteran fans understand what's going on: "Why does it look like Pacific Rim but with Keyblades."

A finger on the monkey's paw curled with Nintendo fans wishing they could play the Kingdom Hearts games on Switch 2. A collection combining the mainline trilogy was announced in June, but it came with cover art that was immediately hit with AI accusations, a claim Square Enix is now wholeheartedly refuting.

In a statement given to GameSpot, the company claims everything in that cover is manmade, and the problems people were highlighting came from human hands.

"We're aware of feedback regarding recent Kingdom Hearts visuals," a Square Enix PR representative said. "These assets were created by our development team without the use of generative AI, and the issues resulted from human error."

This would be fine and dandy if we were talking about one or two problems, but there's a long list when it comes to that visual. Donald Duck has three fingers on one hand and four on the other, the hands on the clock tower don't look straight and the details around the gears of the clock are muddy, the Keyblades have inconsistently sized keychains – I could go on.

It's worth noting many of these things are tropes of gen-AI imagery, hence why fans were so quick to accuse Square Enix of using it in this instance. The software used to create AI imagery gets these facets a little bit wrong because what it puts out is a composite picture using other assets, made extremely quickly.

Nonetheless, the statement points to the revised artwork. "Quality is extremely important to us, and updated assets have been implemented where appropriate," finishes Square Enix's comment.

Another cover has since been put out. Some things have been sorted, like Donald's hands, but other parts, like the zipper on Sora's jacket going nowhere, remain. Yet another version exists on YouTube, where characters have simply been moved around.

The original is still easy to find on Square Enix's Twitter feed. The Kingdom Hearts Collection comes out on October 6, and maybe we'll see another draft of this art when it actually hits shelves.

Further proving Kingdom Hearts' existence is a miracle, ex-Disney CEO says he can't even remember why he greenlit the JRPG in the first place.

A former Disney CEO can only barely remember the name Kingdom Hearts, and he definitely can't recall what made him give Square Enix's (or SquareSoft at the time) pitch the thumbs up.

Kingdom Hearts' entire existence already seemed like an impossible Disney miracle come true. Some of the company's biggest mascots, Mickey Mouse included, being deeply involved in a nonsensical JRPG's twisty storyline for over two decades, while crossing over with Final Fantasy characters, I might add, doesn't sound like it would've made Disney loosen its usually tight grip on its IP. (This preceded Fortnite's bonkers crossovers, mind you.)

Trying to get to the bottom of what turned Square Enix's wish upon a star into a long-running video game franchise, The Game File's Stephen Totilo managed to get a hold of Michael Eisner, the man who ran The Walt Disney Company for over 20 years.

According to the outlet, Eisner apparently didn't remember Kingdom Hearts at all until it was referred to as the "Final Fantasy plus Disney characters" project. "Oh, I remember now," he then says. Asked if he recalls why he green-lit the first game, he simply says, "I don't." Ouch.

As the story goes, famed character designer Tetsuya Nomura and producer Shinji Hashimoto were early in development on a game that would try to emulate the free-flowing movement of Super Mario 64. When Hashimoto found himself in an elevator with a Disney executive, conversations about what eventually became Kingdom Hearts began in earnest.

Finding out what convinced Disney to relent and have its most iconic characters fight darkness alongside an anime protag wearing clown shoes and a key-shaped sword would've been fascinating, but Eisner likely signed off on many deals during his tenure, so all is forgiven here. Even well before Fortnite, Disney wasn't a total stranger to wacky video game ideas, either, between Disney Infinity and Epic Mickey.

Kingdom Hearts has had a life of its own many years after Eisner's departure, too. Kingdom Heart 4 is up next, with a "deep dive" into the series also scheduled for next month's D23 event.

Canceled Kingdom Hearts spin-off's intro apparently leaks online and not even veteran fans understand what's going on: "Why does it look like Pacific Rim but with Keyblades"

After the game was unceremoniously canceled last year, the opening cinematic of Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link has apparently leaked online. The video contains several hallmarks of the unreleased project and plenty of Tetsuya Nomura-isms besides, lending credence to its legitimacy and providing some hints about what we might see in Kingdom Hearts 4.

Versions of the short film made their way around the information superhighway before a full upload landed on YouTube. The first half contains a massive battle between keyblade-wielders in space suits and a huge Heartless. Eventually, several of these magical astronauts find themselves in Quadratum, a realm based on our real world.

Then we jump to scientists walking around the halls of a facility of some sort, going in and out of various rooms. Narration makes mention of, "The era missing from history's cycle," and that it's "the third generation of the founded city that faced the true nature of this phenomenon," as someone urgently goes to hand over an envelope in a grand hall of some kind.

The "founded city" is Scala ad Caelum, the world from which all others flow. It's a glorious, paradise-like structure composed of white stone where it's perpetually sunny. So far, this all lines up with what we know about Missing-Link, as it would've been set between Union X and Dark Road and depicted what's known as the "blank era."

Perspective jumps to what appears to be a young Sigurd, a character in Union X who looks like he's got an unhealthy obsession with BloodBorne. The final scene shows a young version of him in a huge city at night - it's perpetually daytime in Scale ad Caelum, which means this is probably Daybreak Town, the precursor to the magical metropolis that gets leveled in the Keyblade War.

There's no way of truly verifying the legitimacy of this footage, but there are plenty of signs it's the real deal. It's polished, flows how you'd expect an introductory cutscene to, and the narrative elements line up with existing knowledge of Missing-Link. Members of the Kingdom Hearts community who took part in beta testing for the spin-off have pointed out the aesthetic doesn't line up with what they saw.

"The ML style was more steampunk. It wouldn't surprise me if this was a keyblade mod on something else or some fan art," says a commenter on Reddit. Others are lowkey stunned at what they're seeing. "Why does it look like Pacific Rim but with Keyblades," a top Reddit comment asks.

One thing that does jump out at me here is how large-scale this feels for a mobile release. Kingdom Hearts spin-offs don't tend to feel much like their mainline, triple-A counterparts.

Which leads me to agree with the prevailing theory that this is actually something intended for Kingdom Hearts 4. Missing-Link was going to tee up the new installment, and in the wake of Square Enix ending development on it, parts are probably being reworked for appearances elsewhere.

There's also a non-zero chance this is all part of something for the next Kingdom Hearts collection. Wherever this is from, I can say one thing with confidence: the lore isn't getting any easier to explain.

Kingdom Hearts 4 updates could be coming soon as series "deep dive" is confirmed for D23, 2 months after Square Enix's surprise new trailer

We could be getting Kingdom Hearts 4 news quite soon, as the franchise is confirmed to make an appearance at D23 next month, Disney's conference for all things House of Mouse. The series will get a showcase celebrating its 25th anniversary, because apparently my lower back pain isn't enough of a reminder of my age.

The event, simply called Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts, was revealed in the D23 2026 programme of panels and such. "Join us for a journey through light and darkness as we commemorate 25 years of Kingdom Hearts," reads the official description. "Discover how this saga united Disney, Pixar, and Square Enix, with insights from the creative minds, character voices, and more behind the magic."

From the sounds of things, it'll be mostly retrospective, with members of the old guard at Disney and Pixar providing insight into how they worked with Square Enix to turn the likes of Alice in Wonderland, Tarzan and Aladdin into compelling action RPG locations. I wouldn't expect too much from Square Enix's side of things, beyond perhaps a video message from series co-creator and longtime overseer Tetsuya Nomura.

Some kind of added tease for Kingdom Hearts 4 seems likely, though. Just last month, we finally got a second trailer for the game shown during a Nintendo Direct of all things.

D23 seems like the perfect place to show off some of the movies and shows we'll be visiting for this installment. The Jungle Book, Zootopia, Inside Out, Encanto, and Cars are five worlds I can imagine showing up, if I had to guess. But we'll see what emerges.

Although it's already been four years since the fourth mainline Kingdom Hearts installment was announced, I wouldn't expect a release window here. That's more likely to come on Square Enix's terms, since that's the actual developer and publisher. Disney is really just weaponizing the most lucrative video game venture it has right now.

Whatever the case, we're almost definitely going to hear another rendition of the anecdote about how this collaboration got moving because of a chance elevator conversation. Much like Steamboat Willie, it's timeless.

D23 is set to take place from August 14 through 16.

Could Kingdom Hearts 4 include Star Wars and Marvel worlds? Sora actor once said he'd "never put it past" Square Enix.

For a series all about jumping from one disjointed Disney world to the next (and maybe stopping to chat with Final Fantasy friends in between), Kingdom Hearts 4 has been pretty shy about which movies might be depicted in the upcoming game. But Sora's long-time voice actor and Oscar-nominated child star Haley Joel Osment has had his picks locked down for ages: Star Wars and Marvel.

Kingdom Hearts 4 recently popped out of the shadows with a surprise new trailer earlier this month. Perhaps more surprising than its mere appearance was the omission of any Disney worlds or characters – though, from previous looks at the game, we do know Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and Hades will appear – which has left the fanbase to speculate wildly off on their own.

Ravenous Kingdom Hearts fans aren't the only ones theory crafting, however. Haley Joel Osment himself took a couple guesses at which Disney properties might show up in the sequel in a 2024 interview with TheMovieDweeb that recently resurfaced thanks to all the Kingdom Hearts 4 hype.

"Now we're linked up with Marvel and Star Wars, right? I don't know if they ever would connect those," Osment said at the time. "That might be a little too complicated, like connecting all that, but you know, I would never put it past them [Square Enix]. It's a bunch of really creative people."

As for his favorite worlds in the series, well, they might surprise you. "We've done a Tron one. I like the Steamboat Willie one," he added, "the animation in that was really cool. So, yeah, all these [worlds] that may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a Disney video game. I love when they really stretch in that direction. I'm excited to see."

Any deeper cuts seem preferable for the Sora actor, but the recently-reposted clip has now seen fans get involved as well. Comments under the video has droves of people begging for Treasure Planet representation. Oh, how I'd like to shake all your hands! Coco, Zootopia, The Incredibles, and Atlantis are other common suggestions.

In the meantime, the only Kingdom Hearts 4 worlds we've seen so far are Quadratum, the life-like city shown off in trailers that's implied to be an afterlife of sorts, and the tiniest glimpse of a green forest with what looks like a Star Wars AT-ST foot stomping about. Endor-coded, much?

Disney now owns so many properties that it's pretty easy to come up with a dream wishlist. Mine would probably include Sora being stalked by a Xenomorph before engaging in an overly long chicken-fight with Peter Griffin.

After voicing Sora in 12 RPGs, Kingdom Hearts actor says maybe "the best thing to do" is let the long-running series end: "Even if you have something that you love."

Following accusations of Square Enix using AI-generated (or, well, AI-assisted) art on its cover for the Kingdom Hearts Collection, it seems some retailers have received a different version to swap the original one out for.

Kingdom Hearts fans have had quite a month after a surprise Nintendo Direct finally dropped news on Kingdom Hearts 4 and unveiled a nice bundle of the original three games coming to console (no more crappy cloud downloads, yippee): the Kingdom Hearts Collection.

The set itself is exciting, but its reveal was dampened a bit as eagle-eyed fans spotted the cover art outside of Japan looked a whole lot like it had been at least partially AI-generated.

There are various threads on the allegations online, with folks pointing out Donald's odd fingers, Sora's shoe, and much more as potential indicators that Square Enix used AI to touch up its initial cover art – cover art that the Japanese Collection always boasted.

Now, though, it appears that the supposed AI-assisted version is being pulled from retailers' advertisements and replaced with the one used in Japan.

🧵THREAD - The AI-Assisted Kingdom Hearts Cover 🧵So, this cover have been pointed out for being ai-generated. Yeah it's shit. BUT after I did some dig in, it's actually kinda more complicated than this. So let me expand on this 👇

— @kahene.bsky.social (@kahene.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-06-22T10:13:53.652Z

Have a quick peek at Amazon, for example – the Kingdom Hearts Collection's cover art is no longer the strange overseas version… It's the OG. Not every retailer has updated its listing for the bundle yet, however.

You're still able to find the copy that fans believe was run through an AI generator over on GAME, for instance. Heck, it's still up on the actual official Square Enix storefront, a place you'd likely expect it to have been changed first.

It is important to note that Square Enix hasn't actually responded to any of the allegations floating about the web itself, seemingly opting to just quietly swap out the problematic cover art for its non-controversial version.

There's no telling whether the company plans to address the debacle publicly as of now, but hey – at least it's making changes… because let's face it, Donald Duck just doesn't look right, does he?

Searching for something else to wishlist? Here are the best new games coming this year and beyond to look forward to.

Tetsuya Nomura's fingerprints can be found all over Final Fantasy - from the overwhelming zips and belts that wrap around certain character designs to Final Fantasy 7's Limit Break system and beyond - but the genre icon says his life's work is arguably Kingdom Hearts.

The Kingdom Hearts series overseer and co-creator said as much in an interview with Famitsu (translated by Genki), putting the multiverse-spanning Disney franchise over dozens of other games he's worked on.

"Kingdom Hearts has become my life's work, so I can't leave it out," he says. "I never imagined it would become such a long journey. At the beginning of the project, I made numerous trips to Disney headquarters for meetings, and many of the things we discussed back then have come to fruition over time. It truly has become a land of dreams and magic."

As the story goes, the initial egg of an idea came from Super Mario 64. Developers at Square Enix wanted to make a game with similar free-form movement, but the company didn't have an icon as recognizable as Mario or, say, Mickey Mouse... until co-creator Shinji Hashimoto ran into a Disney executive in an elevator, that is. The rest is modern history, and it's still unfolding in the forthcoming Kingdom Hearts 4.

"There are still things I want to accomplish, and we are trying something new in the fourth installment, so please look forward to it," Nomura adds.

Kingdom Hearts 4 reared its head earlier this month, showing another look at the game's more grown-up Sora and the more realistic city that he's found himself trapped in. A few returning character's turned up, as well, but details are otherwise light.

The game's due to launch across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 at the same time.

Nomura, you've done it again: Kingdom Hearts 4's new trailer features a character from a now-delisted spin-off MMO, and we wouldn't have it any other way

As someone who's a fan of both Final Fantasy and Disney, I love Kingdom Hearts. I do not love the series' scattered and frequently knotted lore, however, and the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer has planted us right back in the wilds of esoteric nonsense.

In the trailer, we see a black-haired younger man wearing a dark face mask and blazer. He appears for just a second amid Sora's battle against a gigantic heartless in the middle of a city. Even though he's already part of the franchise, you likely don't recognize him, because Kingdom Hearts 4 is going deep here.

That looks very like Vali, a character from Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road, a mobile game centred on the early years of the Xenahort. He's one of the upper classmen, and it's a surprise to see him here because he actually dies during the events of that game.

Normally I'd be wary of spoiling something like that, but Dark Road was only accessible through the Kingdom Hearts Union X app that's since been discontinued and delisted. So if you haven't already played it, you can't by official means.

Assuming it's him, how he's there or why he's there are questions only the fourth mainline entry can answer. This is all extremely par for the course of the property, as Kingdom Hearts has sprawled across platforms since Chain of Memories on the Game Boy Advance followed the first installment.

This is coming to the fore amid jokes about the harebrained nature of all this mythology. Alas, Kingdom Hearts gives Metal Gear, Drakengard, and any FromSoftware release a run for their money when it comes to mind-bending background information. My advice? Just enjoy hopping around your favorite Disney and Pixar classics as Sora, Donald and Goofy.

Kingdom Hearts AI art accusations hit Square Enix, and that sure looks like slop to me.

Although Summer Game Fest has now concluded, a surprise Nintendo Direct yesterday left us with a trailer we had been waiting four years for – that of Kingdom Hearts 4.

Yes, that's right – we actually saw more of Kingdom Hearts 4 during the showcase, although we didn't get any sort of release date from Square Enix. It was a teaser, showing off the game's stunning visuals and a little bit of combat, too… but that doesn't mean folks weren't just a tad bit disappointed.

Heck, Kingdom Hearts 4 was announced in 2022. So, when is it going to launch, then? Well, some fans think they know.

That's because two separate store listings from Australia – one on EB Games and another on JB Hi-Fi – mention "the release of Kingdom Hearts 4 in 2027." At least, they did – both listings have now had this part scrubbed out, so make of that what you will.

Although the listings aren't even for the fourth game itself (they're for a collection containing the series' first three titles), that's a pretty big deal… and eagle-eyed fans are, of course, treating it as such. It's almost like the GTA 6 debacles all over again, where random listings convinced folks of all sorts of things.

A Reddit thread highlights some of this, erm, hopium, with the top comment reading, "2027 shaping to be a good year for me." Another chimes in that it's an "already stacked" year, while somebody exclaims, "Next year looks absolutely insane."

One person jokes, "Peak 2027 incoming" – but they're not exactly wrong. Even if Kingdom Hearts 4 doesn't come, there's everything from a Resident Evil: Code Veronica remake to the new Fable entry.

As is always the case with such speculation, not everyone is certain that the Kingdom Hearts 4 mentions mean anything. One fan argues, "That footage we saw on the direct looked janky af, surely 2027 is a stretch." Another adds, "I don't believe that for a second because it sounds too good to be true."

I suppose I understand where they're coming from… we don't really know much about the fourth game at this point, so a release date seems out of reach.

It took a whopping four years to even get a new trailer out of Square Enix, so, yeah. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a 2027 Kingdom Hearts 4 release, but not holding my breath.

Searching for something else to wishlist? Here are the best new games coming this year and beyond to look forward to.

A rush of Kingdom Hearts 4 news out of the Nintendo Direct June showcase has soured due to credible suspicions that generative AI was used in the lead art for the series' newly announced Nintendo Switch 2 collection.

A large illustration straight from Square Enix's official asset library has been picked apart online, and the more you look, the uglier it gets. Fans quickly clocked that Donald has an odd number of fingers – five on his left hand, four on his right. The layering in Sora's hair is also bizarrely inconsistent, and several background details carry the telltale meltiness of AI art.

The whole illustration is filled with clashing layers, wobbly lines, and strange proportions – not something you'd expect from a beloved series helmed by exacting creators, and especially one with a wealth of existing, readily referenced covers.

It looks like the left-most Sora's left hand was stung by a bee, while the right-most Sora has a truly gigantic left hand and his right seems to clip straight through a keyblade. We can see the bottom of the guard where the hilt should be.

The smokiest gun may be found in the background near Goofy. This cathedral-like building is a casserole of nonsense. Corners collapse in illogical waves, buttresses look like they've been microwaved for too long, and several sections of trim are both patternless and prone to vanishing into nothing.

Similar issues appear throughout, with more architectural oddities found on the building at the left border. Dividers between windows randomly spiral into themselves, stone detailing appears to have been bandaged together, and the line work on the neon lights is both incredibly fuzzy and inordinately high-contrast. Even the multi-layered screens at the top of this building seem to be haphazardly conjoined.

This is a pretty glaring instance of unusual art, but as is often the case, the perception and blowback here are just as important. This is incident number a billion of players vocally arguing that they will not accept AI-generated assets. And it's far from the first Summer Game Fest outcry. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis was made with AI, and Sega stuffed generative AI into Crazy Taxi: World Tour.

Indie devs behind viral fishing game say "AI slop" clones helped promote the real thing.

I can't quite believe I'm writing this, but we just got a brand new look at Kingdom Hearts 4 in today's Nintendo Direct, with Square Enix's long-awaited RPG on its way to Switch 2… at some point.

During today's Direct, we got a fresh look at some cinematics as well as gameplay in Kingdom Hearts 4. It's been a long four years since it was first announced, with very little information released in the meantime – seeing it dropped in near the end of today's stream was honestly a little surreal.

The latest trailer also confirms Kingdom Hearts 4 will be "available at launch on Nintendo Switch 2," but when that launch is is another matter entirely. Square Enix still hasn't given any indication of when it'll be released, but for now, we have almost a minute and a half of new footage to pore over, which should keep ravenous fans fed for a little while longer.

This ended up being a surprisingly exciting Direct for Kingdom Hearts fans – right before the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer, we also got confirmation that Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5, 2.8 and 3 (plus its Re Mind DLC) are coming to Switch 2 (as well as PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S) on October 8. A full collection is also being launched alongside the individual releases, and anyone with save data from the Switch 1 cloud versions of the games will be able to transfer their progress over.

Obviously, that was very quickly overshadowed by the latest Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer, but hopefully those releases will be able to keep us busy for however much longer we have to wait for the next game in the series.

Be sure to check out our roundup of everything announced at the Nintendo Direct June 2026 to catch up with all the exciting new games.

Kingdom Hearts 4 hopefuls are once again back with the hopium as a Tokyo Game Show teaser has folks convinced that news is on the way very soon, but I'm not quite so sure.

Earlier today, the official Tokyo Game Show Twitter account posted a mysterious tweet – a whole bunch of question marks in a box, followed by tomorrow's date (May 12) and the words "COMING SOON…" Below that, though, is an image that's gotten everyone talking – it simply says "LOADING…" with a familiar-looking font and a green bar below it.

It didn't take long at all for folks to start speculating that this could be a teaser for news about Square Enix's RPG series. "That green bar and font... Don't tell me…" one fan writes, sharing some comparison screenshots. "DONT GIVE ME HOPE I KNOW THAT FONT," another says. Another fan simply screams what everyone else is thinking: "KINGDOM HEARTS 4 ????????????????????????"

This desperation probably isn't helped by the fact that over the last few days, we saw a surge of supposed Kingdom Hearts 4 leaks on ResetEra, from someone claiming to be posting "on behalf of a former colleague who I am very close with outside of work." This included everything from the game's supposed planned release window to gameplay details, although it's definitely worth noting that the user behind this has now been permanently banned, with ResetEra labelling them a "troll account," so maybe don't put too much stock into any of it.

Even so, to say fans are hungry for news would be an understatement, and it seems that the leak – no matter how unlikely it is to be true – may have served to rile folks up further.

Does this Tokyo Game Show post mean anything Kingdom Hearts-shaped, though? Unfortunately, I wouldn't be so sure – sleuths have noticed that the "loading" picture is actually a stock image, so it definitely hasn't been purpose-made to tease something specific. Could the folks behind the Tokyo Game Show account have seen the similarity to Kingdom Hearts and used it on purpose? Ehhh, potentially, I guess? But I wouldn't get your hopes up – as others have speculated, it seems more likely that whatever is seemingly going to be revealed tomorrow is more to do with the show itself, like perhaps this year's official key art.

I'd love to be proven wrong, as I'm sure all the other doubters would, too, but I certainly wouldn't hold your breath. Either way, we won't be waiting long for answers, as whatever it is, we should be seeing it tomorrow.

Starving Kingdom Hearts 4 hopefuls lap up tiny breadcrumbs from actor James Woods: "I can't comment, but I wish I could!"

Kingdom Hearts 4 was confirmed to be in development back in 2022, but Square Enix has been woefully silent on the project in the years since, with the most recent meaningful update being a batch of screenshots from May of last year that ended a three-year drought. Director Tetsuya Nomura recently suggested it won't be until next year that we receive another big update, so for now, fans are left desperately lapping up breadcrumbs from anyone involved. Today, those breadcrumbs come courtesy of actor James Woods, who's played antagonist Hades since the first game in 2002, and of course, the beloved Disney animated movie Hercules from 1997.

Again, temper your expectations here, because there isn't much to this new "update." There's no new trailer, screenshot, or even new information. Literally all we have to report is a tweet from Woods vaguely suggesting work is being done on Kingdom Hearts 4, which has already been heavily implied by the fact that it was announced four years ago.

Woods recently shared an image of him in a recording booth with the caption "we just finished recording the new one," and although the tweet is in reference to a follow-up to Woods' Tombstone Opera album, someone confused it for a Kingdom Hearts 4 tease. Woods responded to this confusion by saying he "can't comment" on Square Enix's upcoming sequel. "I wish I could!" he added.

I did tell you not to get your hopes up. Still, many fans are taking this non-comment as a suggestion that Woods is under NDA and, if that were the case, recording the English voice lines for Kingdom Hearts 4. It's a big 'if', but if that's indeed the case, the game could be further along than one might expect after so many months of silence from Square Enix. That's it. That's the tweet.

I will remind my fellow Kingdom Hearts fans that, well, we've been here before. Remember back in November when a single image from Sora actor Haley Joel Osment sent the entire fandom into a tizzy? And remember how nothing happened after that? I'm getting similar vibes here. If I were you, I'd take Nomura's advice and just check in next year.

Need something to do in the meantime? Pick something from our list of the best JRPGs to play in 2026.

As the original Kingdom Hearts observes another birthday this week, series creator Tetsuya Nomura is only celebrating by telling everyone to check back in next year – fingers crossed he means for Kingdom Hearts 4 news, this time.

Kingdom Hearts fans (me, in this instance) aren't fussy when it comes to any slithers of life from the whacko action series. I'll take my crumbs and be thankful for them, damn it. And crumbs are exactly what we were served over the weekend when the official Kingdom Hearts account celebrated the classic JRPG's 24th anniversary with new artwork and a message from director Tetsuya Nomura.

"We are currently working hard towards the 25th anniversary. Thank you for your support," Nomura's message reads (thanks for the translation, Genki). It's essentially a 'come back next year for the real 25th birthday celebrations' message.

Nomura's new piece of art isn't too much of a bombshell itself, either. The painting seems to depict Young Xenahort, the series' long-time villain, staring off into the distance while holding an umbrella in a pose that's somewhat reminiscent of the way protagonist Sora's framed during all the mainline games' title screens.

Last we saw from Kingdom Hearts 4 was a few screenshots revealing a new Keyblade, a playable Mickey Mouse, and more that ended a 1,131-day drought of news for fans. This latest tease isn't exactly a monsoon fit to end a drought – more so a single drop of water, a sip, if you will, to tide us over until next year.

At least we now know that Square Enix has something a little more substantial planned for Disneyverse-spanning adventure this time next year. These crumbs are gourmet crumbs.

"I have zero news" about Kingdom Hearts 4, Kairi actor clarifies after fans were convinced they might have revealed a spoiler for the upcoming RPG: "I totally understand the confusion."

Phineas and Ferb and Step Up actor Alyson Stoner has released a statement addressing the Kingdom Hearts community after fans took a statement as a spoiler for Kingdom Hearts 4.

Kingdom Hearts fans are perhaps the most copium-fuelled of all the fanbases. Sure, The Elder Scrolls 6 fans have had less info on their next game, but that fanbase has (mostly) accepted the game is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, Kingdom Hearts fans are picking up on anything that could be related to Kingdom Hearts 4; there's no hiding from how dedicated they are, which has led to some confusion around an actor's comments.

A clip of Stoner at a convention went viral within the Kingdom Hearts community, where Stoner talked about their roles in the series. "I voice Kairi, and Xion, and Naminé," Stoner said, adding: "A lot of people don't know about the Naminé, so I hope I'm not spoiling something that I'm not supposed to say out loud."

Naminé is credited as being voiced by Brittany Snow in Kingdom Hearts 2 and Meaghan Martin in future appearances, which led fans to think Stoner was saying Naminé is back in Kingdom Hearts 4 and will be voiced by them.

After it blew up, Stoner made a post on their Instagram story (which has been archived by the Kingdom Hearts subreddit) clarifying the situation. Stoner, who says Kingdom Hearts "continues to be one of the most meaningful experiences I've had in the booth" explains: "Unfortunately, I have zero news of KH4, but I'm just as eager to hear updates! Trust me, I have zero points of information."

They continue: "Regarding my 'spoiler' comment in the brief interview, that was merely a colloquial attempt (or error, I'm learning?) at saying many people are often unaware of the other characters we actors voice," and that "I meant to imply that these realizations can feel like a 'behind-the-scenes spoiler' about the project for some people, not that I was breaking confidentiality on any project."

Stoner continues, "I totally understand the confusion and apologize for any false implications/speculation. I didn't mean to imply there's another game or that I'm currently recording any roles." They add that they'd "genuinely be equally enthusiastic to hear about KH4, regardless of whether or not I were asked to be involved as a voiceover actor."

And as a final bit of info to help their case that this really wasn't a spoiler, Stoner says: "After 25 years of nonstop experience with press interviews, there is 0% chance I would accidentally spill something that massive… if I were under a contract, my lips would be sealed shut." They also note the level of secrecy a lot of these projects have, saying, "Disney didn't even notify the main cast of Phineas & Ferb when the show was coming back. We learned through a public press announcement, along with all of you. So, as they say, we're all in this together."

But that doesn't answer when Stoner voiced Naminé, as they had never been credited; thankfully another fan posted on Twitter, possibly solving the mystery. Twitter user Mike Kennedy says, "Don't want to burst anybody's bubble, but I was at the event, and Alyson told me at the table they had voiced Naminé for a fill-in line or two in a past game and thought it was cool/funny that nobody ever really noticed." Given that Riku actor David Gallagher previously did uncredited voice work as a younger Xehanort in Birth By Sleep, that somewhat tracks with the series.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is "going very smoothly" and the "announcement timing has been decided," Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura says, and Kingdom Hearts 4 is also "progressing well."

Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy fans were jumpscared by the appearance of Octopath Traveller 0 in last night's PlayStation State of Play.

During the presentation, the host, Yuki Kaji, said the line "Next up, we have an announcement for Square Enix's beloved series." Now, if I paused you there, and you just heard the words "Square Enix's beloved series," your mind would likely go to something like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, or Dragon Quest (which already showed up earlier in the show). But after leading with that line, it was followed up with Octopath Traveler 0.

Obviously people do love Octopath Traveler, the second game is one of those games that everyone who has played will tell you is incredible and you need to play it, but it's understandable that its appearance – especially with the intro it was given – was bound to be disappointing for some people.

One look at Twitter and you can see reactions from scorned Kingdom Hearts 4 and Final Fantasy hopefuls. One user said "No shade to Octopath Traveler 0 but this was literally me for a second just now" with the meme of the IGN reporters at E3.

Meanwhile, some people streaming the presentation showcased their reactions, with streamer Cynical going alert at the "Square Enix's beloved series," before falling backwards, saying "don't do that" (granted, they did say "We love Octopath"). Meanwhile, Final Fantasy fan Bawkbasoup began a shout when the line was said before resigning themselves to a dejected "aww".

Although I do have to ask, what were we expecting? A new Final Fantasy game or Kingdom Hearts 4 news for the first time in the three decades since it was announced will be a massive deal when it's announced. I doubt that Square would include them in a Japan-focused State of Play, knowing that some may overlook it due to its regional focus. Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy announcements would likely be saved for one of the big showcases like Summer Game Fest, PlayStation Showcase, or The Game Awards.

Kingdom Hearts 4 hopium is in overdrive thanks to a single image of Sora's voice actor in the studio: "YALL IS IT TIME??? IS IT FINALLY TIME????"

Haley Joel Osment, the actor best known for seeing dead things in The Sixth Sense, is also known around these parts as Sora from the Kingdom Hearts series, and it seems he's in the studio recording voice lines for something. That something, for Kingdom Hearts diehards chugging hopium from a keg stand, is proof that we're about to get Kingdom Hearts 4 news.

Announced in 2022 to coincide with the series 20th anniversary, Kingdom Hearts 4 has remained fairly elusive since then. Square Enix said when the game was revealed that it was in early development, and after a three-year update drought, official screenshots emerged showing a new Keyblade, a playable Mickey Mouse, and more breadcrumbs barely nourishing starved fans. As recently as September, we had confirmation from Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura that the sequel is "progressing well."

Despite these reassurances, three years with no new trailer is concerning, and Kingdom Hearts 4 hopefuls are starved for updates, which is likely why so many fans are obsessing over this image shared by Osment on Instagram and captured by Aitai Japan creator and CEO Audrey Lamsam:

I was able to verify Osment's Instagram Stories post, and indeed, he appears to be in a voice recording studio. What he's recording for is unclear and Osment didn't share any additional context beyond stating he's "back to work," but sure, theoretically it could be Kingdom Hearts 4.

Talking about the fourquel in October 2024, Osment himself appeared to be unaware that it had already been confirmed, saying he hopes "that we hear something about it sometime soon" and, after learning it was announced, suggesting it might be time to wrap up the series for good. "I'm always the last to know, because I'm the last step in the process," he said at the time.

What that means is, if Osment is indeed recording voice work for Kingdom Hearts 4, the project would likely be well into full production. Still, just saying that feels gratuitous, as we have virtually no idea what Osment is working on. While Sora is his most identifiable voiceover role, there's every possibility he's recording for something else entirely.

And yet, the hopium continues:

"GUYS GUYS HALEY JOEL OSMENT JUST POSTED THAT HES IN THE RECORDING STUDIO TONIGHT THIS IS NOT A DRILL," replied one Twitter user.

"OMG OMG ITS HAPPENING. PLACES EVERYONE PLACES. THIS IS WHAT WE TRAINED FOR," said another all-caps hopium huffer.

"KH NEWS IS PROBABLY COMING SOON. I REPEAT KH NEWS IS PROBABLY COMING SOON," said another.

"YALL IS IT TIME??? IS IT FINALLY TIME????" asked a totally normal Kingdom Hearts fan.

You get the idea. The prevailing theory seems to be that Osment is recording lines for a Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer to be shown at The Game Awards 2025. I've been around the block enough to know not to extrapolate too much from things like this, but I'm not here to harsh anyone's mellow.... or lack thereof. Hope away, and I'll be here either to celebrate or commiserate in December.

In the meantime, here are the best games of 2025 so far.

One of the more interesting parts of the Hollow Knight Silksong saga was how the long wait leading up to its release pushed a fandom into 'silksanity', fuelling years worth of absurd memes and inside jokes that ran very deep. It seems the bug's now caught onto Kingdom Hearts 4 hopefuls who have only gotten nuggets of news in the three years since its first proper reveal.

It all started when Hollow Knight Silksong's September 4th release date was made official and a threatening post claimed the Kingdom Hearts subreddit was next. Since then, the online community has sort of devolved into sometimes nonsensical, silkpost-shaped copium.

The most prevalent posts, for some reason, are the random Genie memes, also silkpost-shaped in how they're hilariously photoshopped to appear official. All over the subreddit, people are inserting the Genie from Aladdin into actual Kingdom Hearts screenshots and artwork where he doesn't normally appear, while commenters gleefully play along. Feast your eyes.

Thing is, Kingdom Hearts 4 was only announced a mere three years ago compared to the Silkposters' six-year wait, so why all the fuss? Well, for one, Kingdom Hearts 3 also came out six years ago and ended on a giant cliffhanger, all but confirming a sequel before Square Enix ever needed to. Plus, Kingdom Hearts 3 itself was 14 years in the making, so maybe the community's simply expecting to strap in for a long ride.

In its defense, Square Enix finally ended the Kingdom Hearts 4 news drought just earlier this summer with a series of in-development screenshots that revealed a playable Mickey Mouse and a new Keyblade for Sora. The fandom had to deal with vague updates from series steward Tetsuya Nomura and re-releases of re-releases to get there, though.

Kingdom Hearts 4 voice recording may be underway as one actor claims to have been involved in the RPG in the last year

Everybody stay calm, but it appears that voice recording for Kingdom Hearts 4 could already be underway, according to one voice actor.

As highlighted by @Genki_JPN on Twitter, voice actor Zach Pokres (known as ZaccActs on social media) has sent the Kingdom Hearts fanbase into a frenzy after claiming that in the last year, he's been involved in Square Enix's upcoming RPG.

Pokres recently starred as the protagonist in horror-flavored adventure game MiSide, as well as Finley the sea serpent in Indigo Park – games which also feature in the actor's roundup of projects he's been part of "in the last YEAR," shared in a new post alongside Kingdom Hearts 4. He notes that "I'm in studio rosters that most people would DREAM of being in, all without an agent and just always pushing."

Referring to Kingdom Hearts 4 specifically, Pokres says that he has "permission to disclose without showing anything else regarding it," so, needless to say, we've not got any more details about what role he could be playing. The actor doesn't appear to have starred in any previous games in the series, so that doesn't help narrow things down, either.

Although it's worth taking this with a pinch of salt when it comes to what it could mean for Kingdom Hearts 4's current state or how close it is to completion, it does feel rather promising that this has happened closely on the back of Square Enix finally giving us a new look at the game. After literal years of nothingness, the company dropped some fresh screenshots of the RPG earlier this month, noting that it "can't wait to share more about Kingdom Hearts 4 when the time is right."

Again, when that time will be is another matter. We're fast approaching this year's Summer Game Fest, so there's no doubt fans will be hoping that the RPG could make an appearance. Hang in there, folks.

In the meantime, be sure to check out our roundup of the best RPGs you can play today.

Composer Yoko Shimomura has created some of the most memorable tracks in gaming history, from Street Fighter 2 to vast swathes of the Square Enix catalog. Arguably her most beloved work comes from across the Kingdom Hearts series, blending classic Disney tunes with the epic, nearly operatic tone Square is known for. Turns out that she was as shocked as anyone this was going to be the tone of the series.

"I was a bit surprised when they explained to me what songs they wanted me to write – there was quite a gap there," Shimomura says in an official Square Enix interview. "I thought: 'wait, it's a Disney game, but you want that kind of song there? That kind of track there?' So, I was quite surprised at the difference."

Kingdom Hearts does feature plenty of music that fits the vibes of the various Disney worlds the game takes place in, and Shimomura says these tracks offered a particular kind of difficulty, since she wanted to create something true to the spirit of the source material without simply rehashing the source material.

"I didn't focus on expressing my identity with the tracks," she explains. "I was only thinking to myself: 'What will be accepted by fans as new tracks that represent the specific Disney world?' So, I explored ways to create such tracks. Of course, I had already watched a number of Disney films at that point. So, I tried to look at it from the fan perspective. I always thought, 'Ok, as a fan of this Disney work, is what I’m making right or does it feel out of place?'"

For the game's original worlds, Shimomura took inspiration from the visual design the rest of the team was building. "For Hollow Bastion, for example, I actually got the game, played it and walked around inside the world to get a feel for the place. I really tried to create something based on the visual impressions it gave me."

Shimomura is set to return for Kingdom Hearts 4, and she says she hopes to "keep making game music for as long as I can and try not to fall short of the expectations of all the fans who are looking for more tracks from me." Given her track record, I doubt Kingdom Hearts fans are going to be disappointed.

The Kingdom Hearts 4 drought is over after 1,131 days as new screenshots of the RPG reveal another Keyblade, playable Mickey Mouse, and more.

Square Enix has finally ended the Kingdom Hearts 4 news drought and ever so slightly pulled the curtain back with new screenshots.

The Disneyverse-spanning RPG was announced a whopping 1,131 days ago (I've been keeping count) and aside from vague lore drops from director Tetsuya Nomura, publisher Square Enix has been relatively mute about the upcoming game.

That is, until now. Squeenix just dropped a collage of screenshots from the game, showing Sora duking it out with some Heartless in Tokyo while donning a new Keyblade, fresh renders of a brand new character called Strelitzia, a weirdly close shot of a random telephone that, knowing the series, is probably crucial to the plot, and confirmation that we'll once again be able to play as King Mickey Mouse in at least one section.

"We're currently working hard on Kingdom Hearts 4 and will continue pouring ourselves into the game's development," Square Enix writes via a new BlueSky update. "We're dedicated to making this an experience that lives up to your expectations!⁣"

"We've seen how excited you are, and we are truly grateful from the bottom of our hearts," it continues. "We are equally excited and can't wait to share more about Kingdom Hearts 4 when the time is right. Until then, we appreciate your patience.⁣ ⁣ Thank you for your continued support."

The update comes hot off the cancellation of Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, the mobile spin-off that promised to tie in to the next full-fat mainline game, so perhaps the publisher was trying to alleviate fans' concerns about the state of the series.

And it worked! Kingdom Hearts sickos immediately mobilized to dissect every last detail in all of the screenshots. Seriously, some people have already geolocated Sora's whereabouts in Tokyo, meaning the map might be closer to its real-world counterpart than anyone was expecting. Now, can someone actually try to explain what the heck is up with that telephone?

To get through the Kingdom Hearts 4 news drought, Square Enix is re-releasing a 10-game collection full of other already re-released collections

Square Enix has officially pulled the plug on Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, its mobile game akin to Pokemon Go – but fans don't need to worry about Kingdom Hearts 4, as it's still in the works.

Revealing the cancellation of the GPS-based mobile game, the developers begin by apologizing to excited fans: "We wish to convey our heartfelt apologies to everyone who has been looking forward to the start of service."

According to the studio, as work on Missing-Link unfolded, the devs realized that the final product would potentially be unable to last in popularity over time, prompting them to rethink its future release entirely.

"Although we worked hard on developing and adjusting the game in the hope that it would be enjoyed by lots of players, we determined that it would be difficult for us to offer a service that players would find satisfactory over a long period of time, leading us to the decision to cancel development," explain the devs, going on to reference the now-canceled game's past beta tests – the last of which took place in 2024.

"We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to everyone who gave us their support and assistance with the multiple closed beta tests," states the studio. "We are truly sorry to have to make this announcement."

While it's certainly not great news for fans of the Kingdom Hearts series, the cancellation of Missing-Link doesn't spell the demise of any other future games – including the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts 4.

"The Kingdom Hearts series will continue," conclude the devs. "We are hard at work on Kingdom Hearts 4, and hope you'll continue to support the series as you keep an eye out for further updates."

To get through the Kingdom Hearts 4 news drought, Square Enix is re-releasing a 10-game collection full of other already re-released collections

Kingdom Hearts 4. Where is it? Who knows. But Square Enix is coping with its absence by re-releasing a collection that's full of other collections of previously released games. It's a re-re-releasing frenzy!

Kingdom Hearts All-In-One package previously got a physical PS4 release back in 2020 in North America, though the publisher is now sending the collection to EU retailers in June. (Thanks, Gematsu.)

But the collection of collections is almost as lovably convoluted as the series lore.

For those not deep into the winding KH rabbit hole, the All-In-One package includes Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix (which itself bundles together two different collections of games that were once sold separately), Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (which has three chapters of the KH saga), and Kingdom Hearts 3 (that one's simple enough – it's just one game, minus the DLC.)

Here's the full rundown of what you get with too many brackets because this is a series that requires some extra explaining:

• Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix
• Kingdom Hearts 1 Final Mix (the first game)
• Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories (a remaster of a remake of a card-based GBA game)
• Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (the DS game now as a non-interactive, movie-length cutscene)
• Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix (the second-ish mainline game)
• Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix (the PSP prequel)
• Kingdom Hearts Re:coded (also a remastered, movie-length cutscene)
• Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
• Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD (the excellent 3DS game)
• Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep - A fragmentary passage - (a lead up to KH 3 and a pseudo-epilogue to Birth by Sleep... beating it is quicker than trying to say its name out loud)
• Kingdom Hearts X Back Cover (another movie-length cutscene that ties into the third game)
• Kingdom Hearts 3 (the third game)

Phew!

Having the whole saga so far on one disc is handy, but the lack of a bespoke PS5/Xbox Series X/ Switch 2 edition makes me think the collection still has at least one more re-re-release left in its bones, which would be hilarious for people like me who have been dealing with Kingdom Hearts 4's relative silence for the 1,103 days since its announcement.

To make matter worse (or slightly funnier depending on your perspective), Kingdom Hearts maestro Tetsuya Nomura recently revealed some potentially crucial fruit-based lore that even left Square Enix baffled. He also implied he has the whole story planned out already, in case you're worried about things flying even further off the rails.

After voicing Sora in 12 RPGs, Kingdom Hearts actor says maybe "the best thing to do" is let the long-running series end: "Even if you have something that you love"

Kingdom Hearts 4 was announced 1,084 days ago, the once annual series hasn't seen a new release in years, and this is easily the longest news drought Kingdom Hearts stans have ever lived through. But the ever-cryptic series director Tetsuya Nomura has just popped his head out of the shadows to reveal a bit of new, potentially crucial, fruit-themed lore that even has publisher Square Enix baffled.

To celebrate the first Kingdom Hearts game's 23rd anniversary, publisher Square Enix decided to try and wrangle some new info out of Nomura's head, specifically in regards to the star-shaped paopu fruit that appears in protagonist Sora's home island. "In the game, it's said if two people share a paopu fruit, their destinies become intertwined," a new social media post explains. "We asked director Tetsuya Nomura to tell us more."

His response may or may not surprise you depending on how numb you are to Kingdom Hearts bulls*** - which I love, by the way.

Square Enix asked the famed director if there are any "untold stories" behind the fruit, to which Nomura simply says "You mean the Paradise of Promise?" Square Enix's social media team seemingly has no idea what he's talking about, and asks if the word paopu came from "combining the words Paradise of Promise."

In keeping with the series' tradition of confusing retcons, Nomura then asks "or was it Paradise of Pure?... I guess there are no particular untold stories." The Square Enix team, echoing what everyone else is thinking, just responds with "Hmm?!"

I've been playing Kingdom Hearts for most of my lifetime, and I couldn't even begin to speculate about what Paradise of Promise/Pure even means. We might find out in Kingdom Hearts 4. We might find out in a social media post years from now. Or maybe the information will stay locked in Nomura's noggin for the rest of time. Regardless, it's at least slightly hilarious that the biggest news drop we have about one of Square Enix's biggest upcoming games is a piece of lore about fruit that even has the publisher lost for words.

After voicing Sora in 12 RPGs, Kingdom Hearts actor says maybe "the best thing to do" is let the long-running series end: "Even if you have something that you love"

It's been 1,005 gruelling days since we've had close to any news on Kingdom Hearts 4, the next game in Square Enix's Disney-verse-spanning series, but director Tetsuya Nomura has finally given fans the smallest crumb to hang on to. 

That's because Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep released on PSP 15 years ago today in Japan, January 9, and to celebrate the milestone, series director and infamous zip-lover Tetsuya Nomura wrote a commemorative message breaking down the spin-off's first teaser, originally included as a secret ending to Kingdom Hearts 2. The cutscene has the game's three heroes, clad in spiked armor, meeting in a dusty wasteland we now know as the Keyblade Graveyard, but Nomura explains that it actually ties into a larger series motif. 

"Meeting someone at a crossroads is actually a recurring motif in Kingdom Hearts," he wrote, referring to the endings of all three numbered games, plus multiple scenes from the series' many, many spin-offs. "Whenever there's something important going on, crossroads act as an important point of divergence."

It's not just a random setting, though. Nomura was "inspired by the well-known crossroad myth from American folklore" where "a young man makes a deal with the devil at a crossroads, trading his soul for the ability to play the guitar." The director then points out that a similar trade - "losing something to gain something" - happens every single time a crossroads pops up in the series.

"But wait... when the Lost Masters gather at the crossroads in KH3, what is gained and what is lost? That's a story for another time," he finally hints, referring to the threequel's epilogue.

It's a very vague description of the themes Kingdom Hearts 4 might play around with, but it does at least reveal Nomura had planned out where the series would be heading next years in advance. Interestingly, Sora wakes up in an alt universe version of Shibuya Crossing - yes, I'm not joking - in Kingdom Hearts 3's ending as well. Maybe he'll make a trade with Nomura himself while he's out there.

Read our list of all the new video game release dates heading our way this year.

If you ever found yourself struggling at all while playing Kingdom Hearts, then you should count yourself lucky, because according to the game's director, it was originally going to be much harder.

In a 2003 interview featured in Hyper PlayStation 2 magazine, now available on Shmuplations, Tetsuya Nomura discusses the development of the first Kingdom Hearts title, which was at the time a few months away from release, alongside Metal Gear Solid developer Yoji Shinkawa. At one point, Nomura notes that, despite being a Disney game, it's quite "hardcore", and had previously been even more so.

"My concept for Kingdom Hearts was that it would be a game with a lot of depth, something you could play for a long time," he explains. "I wanted to try making a game where the player could do anything. Even though Kingdom Hearts is a Disney game, there are quite a few "hardcore" elements that remain."

He gives an example of navigation, with Kingdom Hearts featuring a 3D map but no 2D minimap, forcing players to explore and use their heads - something Nomura believes to be part of the fun. At this point, Shinkawa chimes in, saying that "Kingdom Hearts sounds like an easy game to get lost in," before Nomura explains that the game had previously been even harder. 

"It was actually MORE hardcore in the beginning. We had some puzzles in there that would make you go, 'what is this, Takeshi's Challenge?' We lowered the difficulty a bit, but it still has more bite to it than most mainstream releases today," explains Nomura, referencing Takeshi Kitano's infamously confusing 1986 NES title.

Thankfully, the game didn't turn out to be as difficult to understand as Takeshi's Challenge, though Nomura concedes that it probably wasn't as simple as many players thought it would be. "[It's] the Disney factor, it's a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing, isn't it? I think the gameplay is going to defy player expectations in that regard." At this point, I think it's safe to say that's exactly what it did.

If you're excited for the next game in the series, check out everything we know about Kingdom Hearts 4.

Final Fantasy veteran and Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura was dead set on having a non-Disney character lead his multiversal Disney series.

When first drawing up character designs and initial treatments for the very first Kingdom Hearts game, Nomura knew he wanted to create an original star, which eventually led to him sketching Sora for the first time, a cheery protagonist that mixes classic Disney colours with a little JRPG edge.

"We talked about using an existing Disney character as the protagonist, but from the beginning I knew I wanted the main character to be non-Disney, with an all-star cast of supporting Disney characters," Nomura said in a recently resurfaced interview with Metal Gear Solid artist Yoji Shinkawa, first published in a Hyper PlayStation 2 Magazine, now available on Shmuplations. "That was one thing I wasn't willing to budge on."

"For Sora's coloring, I was very conscious of Mickey Mouse," he continued. "Since all the other characters are not Square characters but Disney, I wanted Sora's design to be a kind of 'grand compilation' of all the characters I'd drawn up till then. So I think he resembles a lot of characters: there's a bit of Cloud, a bit of Tidus, some Sion too. I was very intent on that."

Part of the reason for a more mature, zip-ridden protagonist was because Kingdom Hearts wasn't exactly what you'd expect from a 2002 licensed Disney. It was an RPG that carried Final Fantasy's traditions in many ways - with summons and similarly named spells - but with an action slant, anime melodrama, and a weirder, slightly ominous undertone.

"My concept for Kingdom Hearts was that it would be a game with a lot of depth, something you could play for a long time," Nomura explained. "I wanted to try making a game where the player could do anything. Even though Kingdom Hearts is a Disney game, there are quite a few "hardcore" elements that remain. Things where you'd think, we probably have to make this more friendly―we dared to buck that expectation in a number of places. For example, the map is 3D, but we deliberately did not include an easy-to-understand 2D-overhead minimap display... Originally, getting lost and having to use your head was part of the fun, I think. I do wonder if all the recent hand-holding and over-explanation from developers is really a good thing…" A vision of the future perhaps.

Before Kingdom Hearts 4 gets going, Sora's main actor said maybe "the best thing to do" is to let the series end: "Even if you have something you love."

Kingdom Hearts content creator NobodyDaxian spends a lot of time enduring absurd challenges in Square Enix's beloved action-RPG series, but his latest effort might just be the most absurd yet: a multi-hour grind in a Kingdom Hearts 2 minigame repeating the same three-hit combo over and over again to max out the combo counter and earn an utterly meaningless reward.

The minigame in question is Grandstander, an early side activity in Kingdom Hearts 2 that challenges you to juggle a ball. It bounces into the air when you hit it, and you've got to keep it from hitting the ground as long as possible. The minigame grades you based on how many juggles you perform, with a reward of 10 munny - the game's currency - for four juggles, up to a reward of 50 munny if you surpass 20 juggles.

The maximum high score any reasonable person would attempt in this challenge is 100 juggles - the number it takes to grab the achievement required for 100% completion in Kingdom Hearts 2. But the onscreen combo meter tracks your juggles much, much higher than that. You could, in theory, reach a 9999-hit combo for a perfect score in Grandstander.

There are pretty efficient ways to rack up a massive combo as Sora, but how long would the 9999 hits take using Roxas's basic three-hit combo? About two hours and 19 minutes, as NobodyDaxian ably demonstrated during a recent Twitch stream (via Noisy Pixel). You can watch the full thing for yourself at that link if you've the patience to endure it, but the basic gist is that NobodyDaxian sends the ball over to a narrow alley and keeps bouncing it back and forth between two opposing walls. For two hours straight. Always knowing that any momentary lapse in concentration will break the combo and force a total restart.

"This is possibly the most stressful thing I've ever done and I took a public speaking class," NobodyDaxian said at one point during the attempt. The in-game reward for all this effort? Well, again, the game stops giving rewards past the 20-hit combo, so NobodyDaxian just got the standard reward of 50 munny. By my count, that's enough to buy exactly 1.2 basic healing potions.

Kingdom Hearts 4 is coming… someday, and here's hoping it can stand with its predecessors among the best RPGs out there.

According to a former Naughty Dog developer, Kingdom Hearts played a role in the studio's development of its beloved action-adventure sequel Jak 2.

Josh Scherr worked for over 21 years at Naughty Dog, with the first 13 spent as the cinematic animation lead on gems like Jak and Daxter, Jak 2, and Jak 3. Jak 2 shipped in 2003, and it featured many firsts for the iconic series - Dark Jak, Haven City, and cutscenes with unique character models. According to Scherr, though, it's actually another smash-hit title from many gamers' childhoods that inspired this shift to more high-resolution models in Jak 2.

Speaking in a recent post on the matter, Scherr reveals how Kingdom Hearts prompted Jak 2 devs to stop using the same character models seen during gameplay in cutscenes. In the first Jak and Daxter, he says Naughty Dog "used the same character models for both gameplay & cutscenes (Daxter didn’t have fully articulated fingers)." While making Jak 2, the studio "saw early screenshots of Kingdom Hearts" and "went 'oh shit.'"

That's when they opted to create "high-res models for cutscenes" - and "still did it without visible loading!" Scherr then shows an eye-opening before and after comparison of Jak 2's cutscene models, along with a screenshot of how Tarzan appeared in Kingdom Hearts' own. "Graphic fidelity was a big selling point in the PS2 era," he explains," much more so than now, so making the pivot to more detailed models made sense."

The changes are undeniably apparent - just look at how smooth everything appears to be in the screenshot featuring the reworked cutscene models. The new ones certainly give off a far less "low-poly" vibe than the original models did, although I'd be lying if I said I don't find them all charming. I'm just excited to learn that two of my favorite throwback games have some sort of connection - an arguably wholesome one, at that.

Love a good throwback? Here are some of the best retro games of all time.