'Kingdom Hearts 3' to Launch in '2018 and Beyond'
Unfortunately for players avidly waiting for the release of "Kingdom of Hearts III," they will have to wait until "2018 and beyond" based on a leaked document from Square Enix.
A February 2017 Square Enix note to investors called "U.K. Road Show Material" has been obtained by a NeoGAF user named Nirolak. The document clearly named "Kingdom Hearts III" as one of the titles that are not scheduled for release this year.
Fans have been waiting a fairly long time for "Kingdom Hearts III" since the game was announced for PlayStation 4 during the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo. However, since then, Square Enix has been quiet about its release date plans for the game.
Apart from "Kindom Hearts III," the "Final Fantasy VII Remake" is another much awaited release that is slated for the "2018 and beyond" phase as mentioned on the Square Enix document.
While this still needs official confirmation from Square Enix, there have already been several indications before that suggest "Kingdom Hearts III" is unlikely going to see the light of day anytime this year.
The director for both "Kingdom Hearts III" and "Final Fantasy VII Remake," Tetsuya Nomura, has previously shared some information about the games' development in an interview with Weekly Famitsu last January.
As translated by Gematsu, Nomura answered a question about the games' development status saying: "We're steadily progressing on production. While we are making them, I apologize that the wait will be be a bit longer for Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy VII Remake. I am very sorry, but to that degree I will make a game that will meet your expectations."
Specifically for "Kingdom Hearts III," Nomura was also quoted as saying: "While I can't make a sweeping statement because the development process is different from what we've done so far, there are still worlds untouched. Production is progressing on unannounced worlds, in a state that we cannot show them off. In terms of the state of development, there is still some way to go."
