Summary
After years of anticipation, Square Enix has finally releasedFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthas the second entry in theFinal Fantasy 7remake project. Following this release, there are a couple of major titles Square Enix has in development that have only been teased thus far, includingKingdom Hearts 4andDragon Quest 12. Now that Square Enix’s bigFinal Fantasytitles have been released,Kingdom Hearts 4andDragon Quest 12are likely to be the next major releases from the company, but their status is still unknown until more information about them is revealed.
TheFinal Fantasyseries has dominated Square Enix’s release schedule for the past few years, withFinal Fantasy 7 Remakereleased in 2020,Final Fantasy 16released in 2023, and nowFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthreleased in 2024. As a result, some of the developer’s other popular franchises have seemingly fallen by the wayside, leaving fans of series likeKingdom HeartsandDragon Questin limbo awaiting their next entries. With the wave of newFinal Fantasyreleases having passed for the moment, the stage is set for bothKingdom Hearts 4andDragon Quest 12to have their grand re-reveals.
Fans Can Likely Expect News About Kingdom Hearts 4 and Dragon Quest 12 Soon
The last mainlineKingdom Heartsentry predates Square Enix’s recent run ofFinal Fantasygames, withKingdom Hearts 3releasing back in 2019. Although thespin-off titleKingdom Hearts: Melody of Memorywas released the following year, it was a much more niche rhythm game compared to the mainline titlesFinal Fantasyhad been receiving.Dragon Questis in a similar position, with spin-offs likeDragon Quest TreasuresandDragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Princebeing released in the time sinceDragon Quest 11launched in 2018.
The next mainline entries in these series have been confirmed to be in development for some time now, withDragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fateofficially announced in 2021, andKingdom Hearts 4revealed in 2022. However, both of these titles were announced with brief teasers, leaving a lot of room for fans to speculate in the years that have passed without additional information being shared. Now that these titles appear to be the next major releases from Square Enix, it seems likely that more information will be shared about them soon as development approaches completion.
In addition toDragon Quest 12, Square Enix has also teased an HD-2D remake ofDragon Quest 3, which has similarly gone dark since its initial announcement alongsideDragon Quest 12in 2021.
Predicting Which Square Enix Title Will Release First
With bothKingdom Hearts 4andDragon Quest 12in roughly the same position as each other, it might be difficult to determine which title will be the first to be released in the coming years. However,Kingdom Hearts 4seems to be a bit further along in its development thanDragon Quest 12, since, despite being initially revealed a year afterDragon Quest 12’s announcement,Kingdom Hearts 4showcased actual game footage, whileDragon Quest 12only showed a title and logo. Additionally, recent comments fromseries composer Yoko Shimomurasuggest she is currently scoring the game, meaning it is likely approaching the final stages of development.
Comparatively, very little has been revealed aboutDragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fatebeyond its title and that it will be a more action-oriented title with a darker tone than the series has seen in the past. While some fans might be eager to see some of the final works done by the lateAkira Toriyama, longtime series artist and character designer,Dragon Quest 12still seems to be a little ways off. WhileDragon Quest 12could make a surprise appearance at an upcoming event like Summer Game Fest 2024,Kingdom Hearts 4seems more likely to be Square Enix’s next blockbuster release.
