Square Enix Releasing Kingdom Hearts IV and Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 Early?

Voice actor Cody Christian recently caused a stir in the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts communities. He is best known for providing the voice of Cloud Strife in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. In an Instagram story that has since expired, Christian said he was back in the studio and included a Cloud sticker as a nod to his "bestie". Fans quickly began to wonder if dialogue was already being recorded for Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3. Or could Cloud finally be back in Kingdom Hearts IV after a long time?

Fans first thought that Christian's recent studio session had to be for Remake Part 3. This theory does fit with what we know: full-scale development of the game began in late 2024, not long after Rebirth came out in early 2024. Developers have said in interviews that the script is already complete, which could be a reason to record voice-overs for FF7 Remake Part 3 early on. However, voice acting is usually one of the later stages of making a game, after systems, scenes, and cinematics are well underway.

If Christian is really recording lines for Part 3, it would mean that the production is moving very quickly, like how Rebirth was made so quickly. That game, which was much bigger and more ambitious than the one that came before it, was made in less than four years, which is pretty fast by AAA standards these days. Part 3 might come out in 2027, which is becoming increasingly likely. It might even come out early.

There is another chance, though: Christian's studio work could be for Kingdom Hearts IV. This is great news for fans who have been waiting for more Final Fantasy content in the series since it was missing from Kingdom Hearts III. It looked like adding Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith to the KH3 DLC was a direct response to complaints. Could Square Enix now bring Cloud and Sephiroth back in their entirety for the next main series game?

If so, this would be the first proper update to their storyline in a long time since Kingdom Hearts II. Fans have been waiting a long time for the end of their rivalry, and KH4's more realistic setting of Quadratum could give them a new way to come back.

Also, Kingdom Hearts IV might be further along than some people think. It was announced more than two years ago, but not much concrete information has come to light since then. However, this could be because Disney has a lot of control over how the IP is marketed, rather than a sign of slow progress. Square Enix can't freely promote Kingdom Hearts like they can with Final Fantasy. They have to go through Disney's PR channels to do so. This may be why Remake Part 3 is getting more attention, even though KH4 was announced earlier.

Also, Christian's voice session might not be for either of these big-name movies. Square Enix has more than one thing going on. A new Dissidia game? A follow-up book? Cloud could write new lines for even a Final Fantasy VII mobile or multimedia project. It's too early to say for sure, but the timing and amount of buzz make it seem like this isn't a small side job.

Concerns among Kingdom Hearts fans include the idea that Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 could come out before KH4, even though KH4 was announced first. If that happened, there would be a whole AAA trilogy out between Kingdom Hearts games, which seems like a bad choice for such a long-running series.

If we were to guess, Kingdom Hearts IV might come out in 2026, and Part 3 might come out in 2027. This would make both franchises equal, so neither would be completely overshadowed by the other. And since director Tetsuya Nomura is in charge of both series, it may be best to space them out for production and marketing reasons.

It's interesting that Grand Theft Auto VI's recent delay to May 2026 may be good for KH4. Most publishers try not to release anything around the same time as GTA. That means that a late 2026 release date, like October to December, could give KH4 the attention it needs.

At the same time, Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link is a wild card. Fans are looking forward to a major update soon since the last beta was almost a year ago, and a delay was announced soon after. Square Enix may want to bring back both Missing Link and KH4 at this year's Summer Games Fest. KH4 is set to come out in 2026, and promotions will start to pick up early next year.

It's not clear if Cody Christian's mysterious recording session is for Kingdom Hearts IV, FFVII Remake Part 3, or something completely different. But it does show that Square Enix is moving quickly on its biggest franchises. Many fans can't wait to find out what's going on, but KH4 should be the next show to reveal or re-reveal, maybe as soon as next month.

It's been almost six years since Kingdom Hearts IV was first thought of. Fans, development cycles, and Disney's approval process are all things that Square Enix has to balance. It's clear that both franchises are moving forward, but only time will tell which beloved hero swings their Buster Sword first.