Sorry Kingdom Hearts fans, now is not the time to show more KH 4

However, anyone who's been paying attention to the gaming industry on a regular basis, and especially what's going on at Square Enix, should know that now won't be the time to show off much. State Heart 4. Celebrating Square Enix's future with one of its highly anticipated games would be in poor taste. The company is also now forced to face the hash reality of the industry.

Last week, Square Enix announced major layoffs in its American and European divisions. The Square Enix president used the words lean and agile to describe the company's approach going forward, but in workforce terms it means many Western employees will lose their jobs. Now the focus is on Japanese game developmentWhich probably includes State Heart 4Also in the last chapter Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy.

it is Second round of cuts for Square Enix in two years. In 2024, the company cut all areas of its Western business, again prioritizing Japan. Discounts have become a regular and frequent occurrence in the gaming industry, and a sobering reminder of the volatility surrounding an industry that, based on financial numbers, appears to be thriving. Crystal Dynamics, which was once owned by Square Enix but was eventually bought by Embracer, underwent its own round of layoffs just this week, cutting 30 employees.

So, considering Square Enix's situation it would have been in poor taste to put the spotlight on Square Enix. State Heart 4. Yes, there would have been a ton of excitement, but it felt like less of a shock to those employees who just lost their jobs.

Admittedly, Square Enix was a complete no-show for State of Play Japan, showing off a new trailer for it. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined. But we do know that the game is slated for release in 2026, so it makes sense to include it in any form of promotional event we face in the future. Looking at the state of the game as a whole, it felt small in scope, and perhaps not the best place for an update to a larger game. State Heart 4.

What's the latest news on Kingdom Hearts 4?

As mentioned, no concrete announcement has been made State Heart 4 After its big debut in 2022. Director Tetsuya Nomura said that development was on schedule just two months ago, but there's no way to know what that schedule might entail. At one point, there was one Kingdom Hearts An in-development mobile game called Missing-Link was linked to the story State Heart 4But it was canceled earlier this year.

Since then there have been some major Disney acquisitions Kingdom Hearts 3, And hopefully the worlds in KH 4 will transform those new IPs again. From Star Wars to Marvel, there are plenty of possibilities for the highly-anticipated sequel, which also seems to incorporate real-world elements. The reveal trailer was made using Unreal Engine 4, but the plan is to use UE 5 for the game, which should bring even greater visual fidelity to the series.

Square Enix will eventually show more State Heart 4 – It should be. Focusing on Japanese development, KH 4, final fantasyand Final Fantasy 7 Remake The trio are key properties under the studio's umbrella that have the potential to generate huge sales and rightfully sail the ship.

Some questions have been raised about Final fantasy 7 rebirth sales and if they meet Square Enix's expectations. Whether they do or not, Square says it's breaking with tradition and now making the third title in the remake trilogy a timed PlayStation exclusive. That's just what the news suggests Square Enix wants to shake things up in hopes of increasing revenue. If we will see State Heart 4 also follows.

For now, though, our hearts go out to the former Square Enix employees who lost their jobs this month, many of whom had been with the company for years or decades. It's been a never-ending cycle of layoffs in the video game industry over the past few years, and things show little sign of letting up.

systems

ESRB

e

Engine

Unreal Engine 5

Multiplayer

Online multiplayer

Franchise

Kingdom Hearts