'Kingdom Hearts 3' Release Date Delay: Launch Moved to February 2016?
Another Square Enix action role-playing game may experience a delay in its release date. This time, it may be the long-awaited "Kingdom Hearts 3," the development of which was announced as early as 2013 with an estimated release date some time in 2015.
Since no official announcement has been made by the game developer and publisher Square Enix, rumors have been going around about the fate of the game's release. One report in Venture Capital Post mentions a rumor that it will skip 2015 and will be released in February 2016.
The report also cites one possible reason why the game may be delayed. This may be largely due to the fact that Square Enix is currently focusing it development efforts in another long-awaited game "Final Fantasy 15" which they promised would be released in 2015. The report estimates that fans will hear some news about "Kingdom Hearts 3" by the third quarter of 2015.
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In terms of technicalities, the report also mentions that the game's shift from one type of game engine (Luminous) to a new game engine (Unreal Engine 4) is another possible reason for the delay.
"We're using Unreal Engine 4 right now, and that really has changed the way we make the game," game designer Tai Yasue said.
"Kingdom Hearts 3" is the eighth installment in the "Kingdom Hearts" series. It is also the first game in the series to be made for next generation consoles namely the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. It will also be made available for the PC.
This installment will follow the main protagonist, Sora, who will be assisted by Riku, Donald Duck, Goofy, King Mickey and other familiar Square Enix and Disney characters. The story will continue from "Dream Drop Distance" where Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy need to search for seven guardians of light and the "Key to Return Hearts." King Mickey and Riku on the other hand are tasked to search for the previous Keyblade wielders in order to stop the main antagonist, Master Xenahort, from balancing the light and darkness.
