Square Enix has a packed 2023. It started with Forspoken, will reach Final Fantasy 16 in the middle, and could hit Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth at the very end. The later games are suspect for delays, but even if that happens, Square Enix's momentum of releasing smaller titles could smooth over the release schedule. Among these many game releases could be the official launch of Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link, a game that has been confirmed to feature some teasers for Kingdom Hearts 4.
Regarding the Kingdom Hearts franchise in particular, if Missing Link comes out, it will be the only entry from it this year. The idea of a Kingdom Hearts 4's release in 2023 is inconceivable, even with Square Enix ramping up its output of larger titles. The game was revealed early in development in April 2022, and after the massive wait fans went through with Kingdom Hearts 3, they don't expect KH4 for at least a couple more years. Still, that doesn't necessarily mean that Kingdom Hearts 4 will be entirely absent from 2023's news.
What Kingdom Hearts 3's Lead-Up Says About Kingdom Hearts 4
There wasn't always such a massive gap in between Kingdom Hearts announcements and releases. From 2002 to 2012, a major Kingdom Hearts title typically came out every couple of years. A lot about the franchise changed in 2013 as the HD remasters began to release, Kingdom Hearts χ came out, and Kingdom Hearts 3 was announced. While it took until January 2019 for the game to actually release, Kingdom Hearts 3 wasn't in development for all five-and-a-half years in between. Several delays were reported due to swapping engines for Unreal Engine 4, as well as other reasons. Time also had to be taken to construct 2017's Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage, which served as a bespoke tech demo for Kingdom Hearts 3.
KH3 was well-underway in 2017, as trailer footage showed accurate gameplay from the first few hours of the game. It got a lot of trailers as it neared release, making it appear that the game truly came together in its last few years of supposed development. By that logic, statements that Kingdom Hearts 4 began its development in January 2020 mean that it could come out as early as late 2023, though that doesn't reflect reality. The COVID-19 pandemic declared a few months into 2020 would have significantly slowed down development, and the April 2022 reveal trailer probably didn't include final gameplay. Kingdom Hearts 4 is still at least a couple of years off, but there may be some hope for news in 2023.
What Kingdom Hearts 4 Could Reveal in 2023
A lot of Kingdom Hearts 4's chances to appear in 2023 are tied to the release of Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link. Despite taking place farther back in the timeline, the mobile game is supposed to contain some connections to Kingdom Hearts 4. If Missing Link, which just underwent a closed beta test that is allegedly 50% complete, does release in 2023, then more news about Kingdom Hearts 4 should follow. An interview, at the very least, will probably broach the subject of Kingdom Hearts 4 and touch on how development is going.
Trailers featuring Kingdom Hearts 4 aren't likely yet, but after how many Kingdom Hearts 3 got, they are feasible. Many fans would prefer it if Square Enix could treat Kingdom Hearts 4's marketing like Final Fantasy 16's, but only time will tell if it is willing to stay quiet till KH4 is almost done. As for what else could be revealed, a release date is almost certainly not happening, and a release window any more specific than a tentative year is much the same. Fans could hear the announcement of a single new world at a Square Enix or Disney event, but past that, everyone should temper their expectations for Kingdom Hearts 4's 2023.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is in development.