Kingdom Hearts III
Kingdom Hearts III[b] is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, and Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series, and serves as a conclusion of the "Dark Seeker Saga" story arc that began with the original game. Set after the events of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, returning protagonist Sora is joined by Donald Duck, Goofy, King Mickey, and Riku in their search for seven guardians of light as they attempt to thwart Xehanort's plan to bring about a second Keyblade War. Their journey has them cross paths with characters and visit worlds based on different Disney and Pixar intellectual properties.
Kingdom Hearts III
- Tetsuya Nomura
- Tai Yasue
Rie Nishi
Tai Yasue
- Hideki Matsuoka
- Tomohito Hano
Tetsuya Nomura
- Tetsuya Nomura[1]
- Masaru Oka
PS4, Xbox One
- JP: January 25, 2019
- WW: January 29, 2019
Windows
- WW: March 30, 2021
- WW: February 10, 2022
Concepts for Kingdom Hearts III began as early as 2005 after the release of Kingdom Hearts II in Japan, with the game's development not being officially announced until 2013, following years of rumors and speculation. The game features recurring gameplay elements from the series, while expanding parties to five characters total, introducing new "Attraction Flow" attacks that incorporate various Disney Parks attractions, and including minigames inspired by classic Mickey Mouse cartoons in the style of 1980s LCD games.
Kingdom Hearts III was released worldwide in January 2019 and received generally positive reviews from critics. Critics praised its visuals, soundtrack, art style, gameplay, and variety of combat options, while reception towards its plot and presentation was more mixed. It sold over five million copies within its first week of release, becoming both the fastest-selling and best-selling game in the series' history in North America.[3] A downloadable content expansion of the game titled Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind[c] was released on January 23, 2020, for PlayStation 4,[4] and on February 25, 2020, for Xbox One.[5] A version of the game bundled with the DLC titled as Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind was released on Windows via Epic Games Store and Steam on March 30, 2021, and June 13, 2024, respectively.[6][7] The same version was released on the Nintendo Switch via cloud streaming on February 10, 2022.[8]
Release
Kingdom Hearts III was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on January 25, 2019, in Japan and other Asian countries,[141][130][44] and on January 29, 2019, elsewhere.[142] In July 2017, at D23, it was announced that the game would release in 2018.[56] Almost a year later, at an additional performance of the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour in Los Angeles, the game's North American release date was revealed to be January 29, 2019.[142] Nomura spoke to moving the game's release date outside of 2018, stating the development team had been told the original release date they had considered was not "good timing in the year" to release the game, especially considering "differences in holiday lengths and how stores behave in different regions". In addition, Square Enix requested the game be released as simultaneously as possible between Japan and the rest of the world, and not wanting to move up the release at the expense of development, resulted in the January 2019 date being chosen.[53] The game's epilogue was planned to be added to the game on January 26 for Japan and January 30 elsewhere, while the secret ending content was planned to be added worldwide on January 31, 2019.[143] This was done in order to help prevent them from leaking beforehand, since Nomura called them "the biggest spoilers" in the game.[144]
A deluxe edition of the game features an art book, steelbook case, and collectible pin. Another edition, exclusive to the Square Enix store, includes Bring Arts figures of Sora, Donald, and Goofy in their Toy Box outfits in addition to the deluxe edition contents.[145] A limited edition Kingdom Hearts III-themed PlayStation 4 Pro and DualShock 4 controller was released on January 29, 2019, exclusive to GameStop and EB Games in North America.[146]
Following the release of the game, Nomura confirmed the development of post-launch downloadable content, saying that the development team's current "top priority is on making DLC for KH3" with the intention of releasing a single content package of DLC in lieu of a separate "Final Mix" version like previous titles in the series.[82] A DLC episode entitled Re Mind was officially announced in June 2019, with a slated release on January 23, 2020, for the PlayStation 4 and February 25, 2020, for the Xbox One.[4][5]
The game was released with all downloadable content included for Windows on March 30, 2021, via the Epic Games Store.[147] It was later released on Steam after three years of exclusivity on June 13, 2024.[7]
A cloud-streamed version of the game for Nintendo Switch including the Re Mind DLC was announced in October 2021 to coincide with Sora's inclusion as a playable character in the Switch-exclusive crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the 20th anniversary of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, and was released on the Nintendo eShop alongside cloud versions of the 1.5+2.5 HD Remix and 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue collections on February 10, 2022.[148][149][150]