Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi has confirmed that his own team, Creative Studio 1, is also the studio behind Kingdom Hearts 4.
Hamaguchi made the comments in an interview with Deadline, discussing Square Enix‘s plans for 2027.
Asked about the year ahead, Hamaguchi said the company sees Final Fantasy 7 Revelation and Kingdom Hearts 4 as the titles that will drive what he called a “big fight back” for Square Enix, quoting company president Takashi Kiryu.
“In terms of Square Enix and 2027, our President, Takashi Kiryu, says that next year is the big fight back for us, where everything turns around,” Hamaguchi said.
“And obviously, between Final Fantasy 7 Revelation and Kingdom Hearts 4, those are massive titles that are going to push that. And both are being developed in my own studio, Creative Studio 1. So yeah, I’m really pumped up now for that. That’s really all on my watch now, so I’m going to be the guy who’s pushing all that forward.”
That’s not the same as Hamaguchi taking creative control of Kingdom Hearts 4, though. Nomura is still directing, with Tai Yasue serving as co-director. Hamaguchi’s comment was about who runs the studio, not who’s leading Sora’s story.
As for Nomura, he recently addressed the newly announced Kingdom Hearts anime series directly for the first time, confirming that the series is officially in production and that he’s been in close consultation with its scenario team and, where needed, its art team.
“I cannot say anything more at this moment, but the single piece of key art released serves as a hint,” he said at the time. “Please let your imagination run wild as you await further updates.”
If you’re hoping to go into Kingdom Hearts 4 completely spoiler-free, now may be a good time to mute your socials. A massive information leak appears to have pushed full achievement lists for upcoming and unannounced PC games, including Persona 6 and Kingdom Hearts 4, online.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is due out on 8th April 2027, wrapping up the remake trilogy, while Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently pencilled in for the second half of the year.
