Kingdom Hearts III[a] is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series, and serves as a conclusion of the "Dark Seeker Saga" story arc that began with the original game. Set after the events of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, returning protagonist Sora is joined by Donald Duck, Goofy, King Mickey and Riku in their search for seven guardians of light as they attempt to thwart Xehanort's plan to bring about a second Keyblade War. Their journey has them cross paths with characters and visit worlds based on different Disney and Pixar intellectual properties.
Concepts for Kingdom Hearts III began as early as 2005 after the release of Kingdom Hearts II in Japan, with the game's development not being announced until 2013, following years of rumors and speculation. The game features recurring gameplay elements from the series, while expanding parties to five characters total, introducing new "Attraction Flow" attacks that incorporate various Disney Parks attractions, and including minigames inspired by classic Walt Disney Productions Mickey Mouse cartoons in the style of 1980s LCD games.
Kingdom Hearts III was released worldwide in January 2019, and was well received by critics. Critics praised its visuals, soundtrack, art style, gameplay, and variety of combat options, while reception towards its storyline and presentation was mixed. It sold over five million copies within its first week of release, becoming both the fastest-selling and best-selling game in the series' history in North America.[3] A downloadable content expansion of the game titled Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind[b] was released on January 23, 2020, for PlayStation 4,[4] and on February 25, 2020, for Xbox One.
