'Kingdom Hearts III' Release Date News: Game Could Launch Anytime From 2018 to 2020
A new document that surfaced revealed that the release of "Kingdom Hearts III" could either be soon or a long way from 2017.
The document was intended for the Financial Results Briefing of Square Enix last May 11, and it included a discussion of the video game company's outlook in terms of announced upcoming games.
It is safe to say that "Kingdom Hearts III" is one of the most awaited sequel titles from Square Enix since it was revealed during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2013. However, since then, the company has been quiet when asked about the game's release date. Thus this presentation document is the closest that fans and gamers can get in terms of the upcoming game's time frame launch.
If there was one piece of news confirmed by the document, it was the fact that "Kingdom Hearts III" will not be released this year.
Based on the presentation's outline, Square Enix intends to launch one or a couple of "blockbuster" titles alongside "multiple mid-size titles" annually. "Kingdom Hearts III" was grouped with other games set for a late 2018 release. However, it does not also necessarily mean that it will indeed be launched next year.
As explained in the document, "This slide shows our release lineup for FY2017/3 as well as for FY2018/3 and beyond. We plan to launch each of these upcoming titles in the next three years or so."
Taking into account the time frame mentioned in the official paper, "Kingdom Hearts III's" release could be placed anywhere between 2018 to 2020.
The "Kingdom Hearts" franchise appeals to a wide fan-base since it merges the colorful worlds and familiar characters of Disney titles and Square Enix's very own "Final Fantasy" franchise. While the famed action role-playing game has been including Disney characters, developers have created Sora as "Kingdom Hearts'" main protagonist.
Meanwhile, a list of recurring and newly added Disney characters have already been confirmed to be in the upcoming game's roster. Apart from Sora, returning characters include Riku, Donald Duck, Goofy, King Mickey, Master Xehanort and Master Eraqus.
Back in 2015, game director Tetsuya Nomura confirmed the addition of the world of "Tangled" to "Kingdom Hearts III," which also means Rapunzel will be in the game. Later on in the same year, developers revealed they are also adding Baymax and his "Big Hero 6" world.