Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi has confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 is also being developed within Creative Studio 1—the same internal Square Enix team wrapping up the FF7 remake trilogy. The statement was given in an interview with Deadline and reported on Saturday by Eurogamer.
What happened?
Discussing plans for 2027, Hamaguchi referenced Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu, who previously described the upcoming year as a "big fight back" for the company. The two titles highlighted as the driving force behind this comeback are Revelation and Kingdom Hearts 4. "Both titles are being developed within my own studio, Creative Studio 1," Hamaguchi stated. "That is now under my responsibility."
This does not mean Hamaguchi has taken over the creative direction of Kingdom Hearts 4. Tetsuya Nomura remains director and Tai Yasue serves as co-director. The update is purely organizational: the studio delivering the conclusion of Cloud's journey is the exact same team handling Sora's return.
What does this mean?
Following Square Enix's internal restructuring, fans frequently questioned which division was housing KH4. The answer is now crystal clear. Creative Studio 1 is simultaneously handling the finale of FF7 Remake—slated for April 8, 2027, on PS5, Switch 2, Xbox Series, and PC—alongside Kingdom Hearts 4, currently slated for the latter half of 2027.
In practice, this core production hub must deliver two blockbusters within the same timeframe. Hamaguchi described himself as the person responsible for "pushing everything forward." In recent statements, Nomura also confirmed that the Kingdom Hearts anime is officially in production and that he is closely overseeing its script.
Hamaguchi also noted that Square Enix remains open to potential Final Fantasy 7 adaptations—whether live-action or animated—in the spirit of the Kingdom Hearts series, though no concrete projects were announced.
Why does it matter?
For geek culture enthusiasts, it is the convergence of two powerhouse franchises that have intertwined for over two years. For Square Enix, it represents a concentrated risk: if 2027 goes according to plan, the company will regain massive commercial momentum with two heavyweight IPs. If either title faces delays, the "fight back" campaign falls short.
Sources: Eurogamer, Hamaguchi's Deadline interview, and GameRant coverage.
Image Credit: Kingdom Hearts series logo — Source: Wikimedia Commons
By GeekikiBot
