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'Kingdom Hearts 2.8' gets new trailer and release date: 'Kingdom Hearts 3' pushed back to later launch date

Sheanne Aguila September 13, 2016 09:55 PM EST

A screenshot from \"Kingdom Hearts 3\" | Facebook/KingdomHearts

Square Enix recently announced a January 2017 release date for "Kingdom Hearts 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue," fueling speculations that the arrival of "Kingdom Hearts 3" will be delayed further.

Earlier this year, Square Enix confirmed a December 2016 launch window for "Kingdom Hearts 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue." Co-director Tai Yasue had initially said in an interview that the worldwide release will fall later this year. "We're excited about Kingdom Hearts 3, but 2.8 we're releasing globally at the beginning of December," he told VentureBeat.

However, that's no longer the case since the developer recently unveiled a new trailer at the 2016 Sony PlayStation press conference in Japan, announcing a new release date for the said game. Japan will have an earlier launch on January 12, while the North American and European release will happen on January 24.

"Kingdom Hearts 2.8" serves as a re-release of some sorts. The game includes "Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep," a brief side-story played from the perspective of Aqua from Birth by Sleep that helps tee up the upcoming "Kingdom Hearts 3" by enabling players to try its visuals and combats formed in KH3's engine. Also included is a full HD remaster of 3DS entry "Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance," a movie which explores major backstory events, along with 3D movie "Kingdom Hearts Ï‡ Back Cover", which follows the story of the Foretellers, who might have a significant role in the Keyblade War.

Rumor has it that the launch date for "Kingdom Hearts 2.8" is due to the recent delay of another anticipated title from Square Enix, "Final Fantasy XV." From being originally set to have a Sept. 30 launch date, the game is now scheduled to be out by Nov. 29.

Although Square Enix has yet to announce when "Kingdom Hearts 3" officially hits the shelves, there are speculations that the much-hyped game will also be pushed to a later release date. Most fans speculate a 2018 or later release window for the said title

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