The first trailer for Kingdom Hearts IV

Without a doubt, the debut trailer for Kingdom Hearts IV has shone on the 20th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts. And, in case you didn't know, today marks the 20th anniversary of the first Kingdom Hearts, a tale that has gained a legion of fans and that, about a year ago, delivered a jump that was both expected and, on the other hand, thought impossible by many, when Epic Games released the PC versions.

The announcement of Kingdom Hearts IV has a Schrödinger's Cat quality to it because it is a surprise at the time, but it is not. This is due to the fact that the most recent edition in the franchise, Kingdom Hearts III, was released only three years ago, in 2019, more than a decade after its predecessor, Kingdom Hearts II. As a result, most people believe that the fourth major installment in the series will take a few years, if not longer, to be seen and announced.

However, it is not entirely surprising given that Square Enix hinted earlier this week that a significant announcement would be made at this event. A title based on the franchise but not part of the series, on the other hand, would not be such a big deal. And the fact that the event is taking place on the twentieth anniversary of the first title has already led to speculation that Kingdom Hearts IV is already in the works or at least a viable theory.

The video, which you can watch here, takes us on a tour of the entire saga, which is understandable given that it is celebrating its 20th anniversary, but the most interesting part comes at the end, when, after remembering the previous titles, Square Enix shows, for the first time, images of Kingdom Hearts IV, proving not only that they are already working on the new title, but also showing photos of it, which bring us a few steps closer to the narrative of the game.

For those familiar with the series, the pictures of Kingdom Hearts IV in the trailer depict Sora waking up in Quadratum, a city introduced in Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind and updated with modern aesthetics. Everything appears to be normal until a weird and terrifying beast appears, which he must confront. Following that sequence, the video concludes with Goofy and Donald, Sora's battle allies, however, they do not share the same sequence.

Obviously, it's too early for that, so there's no word on release dates, names, platforms (would it be available on PC from the start?), or anything else. The first visuals of Kingdom Hearts IV, on the other hand, imply that the wait will surely be considerably shorter than that between the saga's second and third installments. Perhaps someday in 2023? We'll have to wait to find out, but based on what we've seen so far in this video, it appears that the wait will be worthwhile.