Kingdom Hearts is one of the most beloved video game franchises of all time. But after 22 years and 18 games released, the story has become increasingly difficult to follow. Even as someone who has played all of the games, I still have a hard time remembering and understanding everything that has happened to this point.
With the release of Kingdom Hearts 3 in 2019, the "Dark Seeker Saga" came to an end. In total, there were 13 main Kingdom Hearts games tied to "The Dark Seeker Saga," which is also known as the "Xehanort Saga.
And with it finally coming to an end, series director Tetsuya Nomura now views this as an opportunity to reset the franchise. In an interview with Young Jump, Nomura revealed that he thinks of Kingdom Hearts 4, as well as the upcoming mobile game Kingdom Hearts Missing Link, "as a reset."
He explained that he wanted the storyline to end with Kingdom Hearts 3, so he hired new writers and created a new logo to make it "easier for new people to get into."
Kingdom Hearts 4 was described by Square Enix as a brand new adventure that will kick off the "Lost Master Arc." The game will once again follow Sora and his friends Donald and Goofy. The publisher teased during the game's reveal:
After the climactic events of KINGDOM HEARTS III and its Re Mind DLC, fans have wanted to know: ‘What’s next for Sora?’ As the trailer reveals, the Keyblade wielder is back - and in a new setting we’re all excited to learn more about.
The first trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 was released two years ago and we haven't seen or heard much about the game since then. In fact, this interview has probably been the most that Nomura has talked about the game since its reveal.
The reveal trailer was set in Quadratum, a large, expansive city that resembles a realistic world. Nomura also revealed in the interview that while the name "Quadratum" didn't actually exist when he first began the series, "the idea was there."
"It was a long-term plan that I knew would come to this point someday," he said when asked about an early monolog at the beginning of the very first Kingdom Hearts game.
While Kingdom Hearts 4 will serve as a reset for the series, it sounds like there are plans for the series to begin winding down — or at least Nomura's time with the series. He was asked if he sees the future of the Kingdom Hearts series coming to an end, to which he responded:
I only have a few years left until I retire, so it's like I have to decide whether to retire first or finish the series first (laughs). However, I'm making Kingdom Hearts IV now with the intention of it being a story that will be completed.
Given the long-running success of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, it's hard to imagine Square Enix wants it to end. But seeing as how it's Nomura's vision, we have to wonder what would happen if he decides to retire.