Kingdom Hearts 4can take advantage of opportunities that aren’t afforded to most other long-running franchises. As a series that’s hinged on crossover content and collaboration,Kingdom Heartshas the privilege of incorporating several unexpected IPin each of its releases, making good use of properties under the colossal Disney umbrella.
One of the more unique aspects of this collaborative storytelling is that, sinceKingdom Heartshas been running for over two decades, the crossover content of each game reflects the real-world changes to Disney and Square Enix franchises. For example,Kingdom Hearts 2includes aTronworld, designed around the iconic, neon-laden vision of cyberspace that was so prevalent in the 80s, when the originalTronmovie came out. But a few years afterKH2released, Disney came out withTron Legacy, a film that expands both the lore and visual identity of theTronuniverse. These changes are reflected inKingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance, which features this more modern rendition ofTron. With Disney recently announcingTron: Ares, slated for a 2025 release, it would be the opportune moment forKingdom Hearts 4to return to the Grid.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Should Return to Space Paranoids
Kingdom Hearts 4 Could Align with Tron: Ares' Release
Very little is known aboutKingdom Hearts 4, with fans having nothing more than a cinematic trailer to base their hopes off. Considering this, alongside a few leaks and rumors, it seems highly unlikely that gaming audiences will get their hands onKingdom Hearts 4before the end of 2025, and a release date of 2026 or later doesn’t seem unreasonable either.
Thus, ifTron: Arescomes to theaters in 2025,Kingdom Hearts 4would have free rein to show aspects of its story and world without fear of spoilers and the like. In fact, the timing ofKingdom Hearts 4andTron: Arescould be mutually beneficial, as a newTronworld inKH4could serve as cross-promotion. There’s already a precedent forTronappearing inKingdom Hearts, unlikemore questionable Disney IP likeStar Wars, so if Square Enix is going to use any modern Disney sci-fi story,Tron: Aresseems like a solid choice.
Some speculate thatEndor will make an appearanceinKingdom Hearts 4, citing shots of a redwood forest and what looks to be the foot of an AT-ST in the teaser.
Adapting Tron: Ares to Kingdom Hearts 4 Could Yield Fantastic Results
TheTron Kingdom Heartsworlds, while not the series' most iconic, are certainly among the most artistically unique and interesting. The neon, negative-space simplicity ofKingdom Hearts 2’sTronlevel is a pleasant change of pace from the smooth, soft-edged aesthetics of its other Disney worlds. Meanwhile,Dream Drop Distance’s take onTron: Legacyis a fitting evolution of its visual identity inKH2, mirroring the creative journey of the actualTronfranchise.
Granted,Tron: Aresprobably won’t be as visually distinct asLegacyis from the originalTron—the release gap is only about a third the size as the one between the previous two films—but it will at least introduce new locations, characters, and narrative concepts thatKingdom Hearts 4could play with. More importantly, thepower of modern consoles means thatKingdom Hearts 4could offer a more graphically complex and fully realized version of the Grid, complete with the atmospheric lighting and reflections that one would expect from a stylized, dark sci-fi world.
Ironically,Kingdom Heartshas perhaps beenTron’s best representation in gaming, as the franchise hasn’t received many big-budget game adaptations.
With the introduction of concepts like Quadratum, it’s not clearhowKingdom Hearts 4will handle its crossover content. It could go all-in on Disney IP, or it could take a step back; Disney is a very different company today than it was during the era ofKH2orDDD, after all. But if Disney andKingdom Heartsare going to continue hand-in-hand, then a newTronworld seems long overdue.
Kingdom Hearts 4
Kingdom Hearts 4 is an action RPG developed by Square Enix and represents the fifteenth installment in the franchise. Players once again are put in the shoes of Sora who is suddenly trapped in a more realistic world called Quadratum, with companions like Donald and Goofy attempting to rescue him. Kingdom Hearts 4 is a direct sequel to Kingdom Hearts 3 and Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory.
