Amin Abbas

DUBAI: Square Enix announced Kingdom Hearts IV, the next installment of the main Kingdom Hearts video game series at the franchise 20th anniversary event this week.

Here are the first details of Kingdom Hearts IV, via Square Enix:

In the announcement trailer, Sora makes a triumphant return with an updated look at the beginning of an epic new storyline titled the “Lost Master Arc.” Beginning with Sora facing off in a boss battle against a giant enemy, players are introduced to the Quadratum, a large, expansive city set in a gorgeous, realistic world unlike anything ever seen before in the Kingdom Hearts series. Fans will be excited to see the return of Sora’s well-known companions Donald and Goofy, in addition to the first appearance of Strelitzia, a mysterious new character who appears before Sora in this strange new setting.

Kingdom Hearts series brand manager Ichiro Hazama said in a press release: “We’re thrilled to celebrate the series’ 20th anniversary with the announcement of two new Kingdom Hearts titles (Kingdom Hearts IV & Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link for mobile devices).”

“We’d like to thank the fans for all of their support over the years, and we can’t wait for them to experience all that’s to come for Sora,” he added.

Walt Disney Games director Nana Gadd said: “Sora is an original Disney video game hero like no other, beloved by our team, and fans across the world. We’ve been honored to work with Tetsuya Nomura and his team for two decades to introduce these original stories of discovery, courage, and friendship. This glimpse into Sora’s next adventure is just the beginning—we can’t wait to show more when the time is right.”

Kingdom Hearts IV is in early development stage, platforms and a release date were not announced.