When are we expecting news?

[KeybladeLordSora]

I actually had Goldpanner take a look at the May thing since literally every other Translator seems to be lackluster these days.

Q: When is this releasing?
A: Nomura: I'm working really hard right now, if you can't tell from my expression. I'm trying to release the game as soon as possible
Shirakami: I want to release during a time of year when it's not a bad time to walk.
Nomura: I mean, this year summer started in like May, so we may be in trouble...

We're not in an era where you can trust any translator 100%, I'm sorry to say.

Still tough to guess what Nomura means...

 

[Antifa Lockhart]

He means that the weather is unpredictable so there isn't a safe bet for release if we're only going by when it's nice. Too hot, too cold, you guys are focusing on the wrong thing.

Bottom line: May wasn't a suggestion.

 

[Luminary]

It may well be the ideology that Square Enix executives subscribe to, in fact. But whether they do or don't, a free gacha has zero potential to step on the sales of SaGa,

Whether one is a F2P gacha or not, a game is still a game and demands a time investment from the player. Missing Link more so than other gachas as you have to get out and walk around if you want to keep playing for free. These two games are obviously not in direct competition, but they can still affect each other.

I’m personally interested in SaGa: EB. But if Missing Link comes out shortly before or at the same time, that’s what I’ll be spending my time on since it is free and part of a franchise I’m invested in. Maybe no one else shares my singular experience, but I’m probably not the only one. But that’s at least one more than zero. Lol.

The company has also said recently they’re trying to have their lesser-known franchises reach a broader audience. You’re not giving it a very good chance to do that if all people are talking about is the new entry from one of your big three franchises. Even though it’s a gacha, the game looks and plays like a mainline KH game and is pretty much being advertised as such.

Moreover, I do find it bizarre that literally 100% of release date speculation now consists of operating within this producer ideology. Sure, they're unlikely to put things on the same day/week, obviously - anyone at all would avoid doing that (in fact, the concept of "same day" is one youve kinda just inserted into this topic on your own). But on here it's always stuff like "well it can't come out in this entire half of this year because [game]". Surely the process of actually, you know, making the damn game has a larger effect on the release date than where the marketers slot it after they're done??

Obviously, the development is the biggest factor in when it releases. But we have little to no line of sight on how much longer that will take other than that they still have at least one more beta go. After which they’ll need more time to make any adjustments to the final build of the game. It’s worth noting all the footage we’ve seen in the most recent trailer was all from the beta. So the final build could still look significantly different,

I can’t speak for others, but l focus on things like the handling of previous game releases (Ever Crisis,) the timing of future releases (like SaGa and Rebirth) because there just isn’t much else to go off of. They’re less important factors to be sure, but they still can make an impact. As an example, KH3 was pushed out of 2018 for reasons related to the distribution process rather than anything development related.

I’ll also add that if a game is released later because of coordination between releases and other non-development reasons, this is usually a good thing for devs as it means they don’t have to crunch as much and can spend more time polishing the game.

And my first post did not say “surely it will take sales away from SaGa.” I said: “I think Missing Link is more likely to release in May to not step on any sales of that game.“ I could have been more clear, but my intent was that it is something they may want to avoid. Not that it would be some guaranteed thing that it would hurt SaGa’s performance. This thought was also unfortunately made with the incorrect translation regarding the May thing in mind. I wasn’t trying to imply that would be the singular reason it would release in May. Tbh, I was expecting to get dragged for suggesting a 2024 KH4 release date and not for this.

I actually had Goldpanner take a look at the May thing since literally every other Translator seems to be lackluster these days.

Q: When is this releasing?
A: Nomura: I'm working really hard right now, if you can't tell from my expression. I'm trying to release the game as soon as possible
Shirakami: I want to release during a time of year when it's not a bad time to walk.
Nomura: I mean, this year summer started in like May, so we may be in trouble...

We're not in an era where you can trust any translator 100%, I'm sorry to say.

Please give them a huge thank you for clearing that up. If their Ko-Fi is still active, let me know as I’d like to buy them one. I haven’t seen anything from them in a while on Twitter so haven’t been sure if they still use it.

 

[maryadavies]

Yeah, tell Goldpanner I owe him/her a couple cookies. The platform formerly known as Twitter is unreliable these days sad to say.

 

[NoWay]

I actually love your idea @Luminary that KH4 could release on 10/4. It would be so Nomura like lol

 

[Luminary]

I actually love your idea @Luminary that KH4 could release on 10/4. It would be so Nomura like lol

Thank you! It depends on whether the game is actually ready by then, of course. I think early 2025 is probably a more realistic expectation assuming development has been going smoothly. But if it is ready around that time, that date is just too perfect to pass up. Lol

That weekend also hasn’t been too busy with major game releases over recent years, so it could be a good open slot.

 

[NoWay]

Something that came to my mind.. I can see them releasing Crisis Core-like remakes/remasters in 2024 if KH4 releases in 2025.
I’d also like a KH3 PS5 remaster with ReMind and 0.2 in one package. But one can only dream

 

[Alexxio M.]

I’m predicting a big trailer for missing link sometime in February and small teasers until a release in April or may with a final trailer right before it’s release as for kh4 e3 will probably yeild some news and the game would probably come out in 2025.

 

[MATGSY]

Something that came to my mind.. I can see them releasing Crisis Core-like remakes/remasters in 2024 if KH4 releases in 2025.

Wouldn't that be nice? The new models for older Disney characters in TML certainly has me pondering the prospect. I've been playing KH2 lately on PS5 via a 55" 4K and it's hitting me harder than I expected how low res the textures are nowadays. Time has finally caught up to what I had thought were timeless visuals.

Ironically such remasters would probably have a better chance of native Switch ports if they're really taking after CCR. That and I'd suspect Square might want them on mobile as well (a la Pixel Remasters).

 

[NoWay]

Wouldn't that be nice? The new models for older Disney characters in TML certainly has me pondering the prospect. I've been playing KH2 lately on PS5 via a 55" 4K and it's hitting me harder than I expected how low res the textures are nowadays. Time has finally caught up to what I had thought were timeless visuals.

Ironically such remasters would probably have a better chance of native Switch ports if they're really taking after CCR. That and I'd suspect Square might want them on mobile as well (a la Pixel Remasters).

I haven’t played KH2 for a long time but, I was especially thinking about KH1. Although I LOVE the remastered version of KH1, there is still so much potential to further improve the game.

 

[MATGSY]

I haven’t played KH2 for a long time but, I was especially thinking about KH1. Although I LOVE the remastered version of KH1, there is still so much potential to further improve the game.

KH1 remake is kinda tricky I thinkvxcz

 

[NoWay]

KH1 remake is kinda tricky I thinkvxcz

Because of Deep Jungle?

 

[KeybladeLordSora]

Wouldn't that be nice? The new models for older Disney characters in TML certainly has me pondering the prospect. I've been playing KH2 lately on PS5 via a 55" 4K and it's hitting me harder than I expected how low res the textures are nowadays. Time has finally caught up to what I had thought were timeless visuals.

Ironically such remasters would probably have a better chance of native Switch ports if they're really taking after CCR. That and I'd suspect Square might want them on mobile as well (a la Pixel Remasters).

I'm assuming TML is Missing Link

Cuz if that's the case if you mean the trophies the older Disney characters are legit just their old models with some gloss

 

[Luminary]

Several Square Enix devs are celebrating the new year by teasing new projects/announcements in 2024 (Yoko Taro, Yoshi-P, Asano, etc.) but nothing about KH from Nomura. I think this is just because Rebirth and KH4 are under the same business unit. So both Nomura and that unit overall are keeping focus on Rebirth for now. I do wish they’d throw us a bone, but we should be seeing something about the 2nd Missing Link beta soon at least.

 

[MATGSY]

Because of Deep Jungle?

Ugh, that posted? My laptop's keyboard has gone to shit. I was going to say that the archaic elements of KH1 contribute a fair bit to it's charm in a way. Like Sora having a simple combat system helps sells the idea of him being the underdog against Disney villains or how the more zoomed in camera makes large enemies seem even larger. KH1 would sort of lose something by becoming more sofistiated. That and I question modern Square's ability to retain the atmosphere and tone the original had that's been absent in all subsequent games.

At least with Deep Jungle I could see them swapping out Tarzan for Jungle Book.

 

[Antifa Lockhart]

I’m predicting a big trailer for missing link sometime in February and small teasers until a release in April or may with a final trailer right before it’s release as for kh4 e3 will probably yeild some news and the game would probably come out in 2025.

E3 is officially over for good.

 

[KeybladeLordSora]

Several Square Enix devs are celebrating the new year by teasing new projects/announcements in 2024 (Yoko Taro, Yoshi-P, Asano, etc.) but nothing about KH from Nomura. I think this is just because Rebirth and KH4 are under the same business unit. So both Nomura and that unit overall are keeping focus on Rebirth for now. I do wish they’d throw us a bone, but we should be seeing something about the 2nd Missing Link beta soon at least.

Can't even get a few words about KH cuz of Rebirth now?

 

[Luminary]

Can't even get a few words about KH cuz of Rebirth now?

To be fair, Nomura didn’t say anything about Rebirth or any other game either..So he’s probably just busy. I just assume that’s probably where most of his focus is. Let’s remember that FFVII Remake didn’t get much attention either until KH3 came out.

He also just doesn’t do as many interviews unless he has to for a specific project and isn’t on social media like a lot of these other devs are.

Missing Link at least got a small nod in SE’s video recapping 2023 and showing what’s coming in 2024.

 

[Launchpad]

We went without KH3 for 1 year and 8 months, from October 2013 to June 2015. As we're in January, KH4 has just about broken that record. This either represents a change in how they've chosen to market the game, or problems at home.

Either way, I think they're due to show something.

 

[NoWay]

I guess we will get more information in May. But I hope for March..