The launch ofKingdom Hearts 4is still somewhere on the horizon, butKHfans have at least seen evidence that the game’s development is progressing smoothly. Even thoughKingdom Hearts 4was a no-show at Summer Game Fest 2025, a set of images was released for the game shortly beforehand, hinting at Sora’s adventures in the unreality of Quadratum, and what some of his friends, like King Mickey, are doing in his absence. Even if it feels like the game’s release is still over a year away, there should be more information trickling out over time.
Excitement forKingdom Hearts 4should last as long as it needs to, as this game represents a major turning point for the franchise.Kingdom Hearts 4will kick off the Lost Master Arc, which may end up being thefinal saga forKingdom Heartsas a whole. As part of that,KH4represents the chance to try new things, or bring back old things that worked. Potential Marvel orStar Warsworlds are a commonly proposed example of the former, but longtimeKHfans could get even more out ofKH4by letting one of its foundational franchises back into the spotlight.
How Final Fantasy And Kingdom Hearts 4 Can Synergize
Kingdom Heartsis fundamentally a fusion of Square Enix and Disney properties, but “Square Enix” in this case usually means “Final Fantasy,” as the crossover series borrows a lot of its identity from the old RPG franchise. This link was important enough thatKingdom Hearts 3drew criticism for its lack ofFinal Fantasycharacters compared to pastKHentries, especially since several had been recurring, plot-relevant characters. Fans are hopeful thatKingdom Hearts 4will right this wrong, and not only will its new setting of Quadratum be the perfect staging ground for character introductions,FFis building the perfect real-life scenario to bring more familiar faces in as well.
Final Fantasy 9’s Remake Is The Key To Aiding Kingdom Hearts
Ever since the mostly-accurate Nvidia GeForce Now database leak in 2021,Final Fantasyfans have been looking forward to theFinal Fantasy Tacticsremaster andFinal Fantasy 9remake to join the ongoingFF7 Remaketrilogy.Kingdom Hearts 4might have skipped Summer Game Fest 2025, butFinal Fantasy Tacticsdidn’t, and that can only mean good things for the elusiveFF9. Leaks and insider statements reinforcing theFinal Fantasy 9remake’s existence have continued to appear over the years, and withFinal Fantasy 9’s 25th anniversary passing on June 15, 2025, Square Enix could easily ropeKingdom Heartsinto celebrating theFF9remake finally surfacing.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Has Much To Gain From Introducing More FF9 Characters
Getting an influx ofFinal Fantasy 9characters inKingdom Hearts 4would be the best possible result for both games, giving the former some extra marketing and the latter a remedy for long-standing complaints.Vivi,FF9’s iconic Black Mage party member, has already appeared inKingdom Hearts 2, but he could be joined by the rest of his team, including:
It makes sense for a newKingdom Heartsto change up the crossover casts it’s pulling from, but what really makes this combination work isKingdom Hearts 4’s thematic link toFinal Fantasy 9.FF9explores loss and death anxietythrough its party’s struggles, and Quadratum is connected toKH’s afterlife-adjacent Final World somehow. Since the allegedly dead Strelitzia is also inKH4, Vivi’s return could be justified with another take on his bittersweet storyline. Regardless of how exactly it goes down, integratingKingdom Hearts 4with characters fromFinal Fantasy 9would be the perfect way to give both games a heaping of good publicity.
