Kingdom Hearts III had plenty of drama before launch thanks to a massive leak of physical copies that led director Tetsuya Nomura to ask fans not to share spoilers. Square Enix also delayed the game’s epilogue until after the game’s release. When release day finally came, Sora and his pals mostly ended up okay, save for the usual shenanigans. It’s been six months since then. Here’s how it all went down.



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The embargo for Kingdom Hearts III lifts on January 23rd. My coworker Tim Rogers determines that Kingdom Hearts III, as a super-packed and almost-a-decade-in-the-making conclusion to a popular franchise’s first major story arc, might be an unreviewable game

The day before release, fans notice a strange warning on the title screen

Kingdom Hearts III officially releases, and reviews of the game, while positive, are not necessarily glowing. Kotaku’s Tim Rogers battles his inner Goofy and Donald

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Kingdom Hearts III’s epilogue gets added to the game in a patch after the world-wide launch. It has a pretty shocking revelation about a certain laid-back Organization XIII member, but we’re not gonna tell you what it is.

Players start to craft a plethora of amusing gummi ships

By early February, Kingdom Hearts III sets a new sales record for the series as download sales and shipped copies cross over five million units.

Speculation runs wild as players unlock the game’s hidden ending

Internet sleuths determine that there is a watermark visible during a musical sequence in the Frozen world


Some writers, including Beth Elderkin at our sister site io9

On April 23rd, Kingdom Hearts III is finally updated to include the “Critical Mode” difficulty. Many fans had previously felt that the game was too easy, and the mode provided a welcome challenge for fans eager for something a bit more intense.

Kingdom Hearts III’s Re:Mind DLC is announced and teased at E3 2019. Footage shows off the ability to play as Riku, Roxas and other beloved characters. It currently set for a Winter release.

Rutger Hauer, Blade Runner star and the voice of the villainous Master Xehanort in Kingdom Hearts III, passes away on July 24th. The 75-year-old actor had taken over the role following the death of Leonard Nimoy in 2015.


And that’s where things are at. Kingdom Hearts III marks the culmination of years of hard work from game makers and investment from fans. It wasn’t perfect but still held much of the charm that drew in players to begin with. Following release, there has been a shifting tide of fan speculation, production goofs, new difficulty modes, and even the tragic loss of a beloved actor. But it’s here and it’s real. After so much time, seeing the first major portion of Sora’s story wrap up was emotional. And no matter where the series goes next or whatever else might follow in the wake of this game’s release, Kingdom Hearts III remains an emotionally evocative and pretty darn good capstone to one of the most hog-bonkers crossover ideas of all time.



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