Kingdom Hearts 3 Release Date for PS4, Xbox One, PC: Reasons for the Delay

Jun 05, 2015 02:46 AM EDT

Kingdom Hearts 3 is a game that has been promised at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) since 2013, and it will arrive at PS4, Xbox One, and PC platforms.  Yes, there is a delay of two years, and it might be longer before Kingdom Hearts 3 arrives for players.

Apparently, the third major iteration of the game will arrive on shelves in 2016, and there are many reasons for the delay.  Part of the reason was that the game's developer and publisher, Square Enix, is working hard on the game's graphics and technical visuals for the next generation of gaming consoles, which have changed since summer of 2013. 

The Master Herald has reported that the development team is not satisfied with the current look of the game and are all working heavily to ensure that Kingdom Hearts 3 comes out perfect in terms of visuals and quality.  The creator says that "when the game is finished, it will have brush-like visuals".  Apparently switching to the Unreal Engine 4 was difficult.  Another delay is the death of voice actors Leonard Nimoy and Chikao Otsuka. 

In case you think that you might see more at E3 2015 in a few weeks, that probably won't happen.  Design and Trend says that more Kingdom Hearts 3 information will be revealed by director Tetsuya Nomura at a November 6-8 event. 

If you are concerned that a 2015 release date could be an issue, there might be a light at the end of this dark tunnel.  The VC Post has reported that a YouTube user named The Gamers Joint discovered a secret logo in the HTML code in the official Kingdom Hearts 3 website that claims the new gameplay trailer for Kingdom Hearts 3 will be released at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), heled annually in Los Angeles ever summer. 

In the meantime, a recent interview with game developer director Tai Tasue of Square Enix, as well as Nexxt Up, has revealed a lot about the game, according to Reality Today.  Apparently there will be new stages and bosses, including a "Birth by Sleep" level and a "dark" level to finish.  There is also a chance to play as Aqua and kill a "predatorial" enemy at the end of the bonus level. 

One rumor going about would be that there would be a world like that in Disney's popular Frozen movie.  Unfortunately, that will not be the case, but it could be in later versions of the game. There have also been rumors that Darth Vader and Iron Man could be in the game.  Since Disney has the rights to both Star Wars and Marvel comics, this is a possibility but probably not for right now.  

One of the reasons for the delay is because Square Enix is also developing a Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix, which could be out by December 2nd.  Square Enix is also attempting to get another version of Final Fantasy out with Final Fantasy XV, which should be out also by 2016.  Perhaps Kingdom Hearts 3 will be out by then. If these two franchises are released at the same time, this will be quite a year for Square Enix, especially when Kingdom Hearts crosses over into Final Fantasy territory.