Kingdom Hearts 3 may represent the end of the story arch that began all those years ago on the PlayStation 2, but it does not represent a conclusion to the franchise as a whole, according to the creator of the series. Tetsuya Nomura, in an interview with the LA Times, explained that the series will continue on after Kingdom Hearts 3, and the game only represents a conclusion of the current storyline:
"There was never a plan...As a core game, this is finally the third, and 10 years have passed. I couldn't call this a trilogy. There have been so many spinoffs. In 'Kingdom Hearts 3,' the battles that the characters have been fighting for the past 10 years will come to a conclusion. That is the plan. But the series will continue. Only the particular enemy they have been fighting the past 10 years will come to an end."
Nomura also addressed the rumors that some of Disney's newest and biggest acquired franchises, such as Marvel Comics or "Star Wars," could appear in the game. While he did not confirm anything, he stated that he has a good relationship with Disney and he has worked hard to get the story in a place that will leave fans satisfied.
"What world is available for the title is an important question...The story - it has to be great enough to meet the expectation of the fans. When that's ready, and I feel like I am ready, then the game can start. The counterpart that I've been working with at Disney the past 10 years is the same person. We have very heated discussions about this franchise, and we've done that for the past 10 years, but we have a steady relationship."
While it may sound like Kingdom Hearts 3 will most likely not get Disney's biggest franchises to play around with, Nomura sounds like he is ready to bring fans the game they have waited for through countless years and spinoff titles. He also dropped a fairly big hint for the gameplay of the title, saying fans should check out the combat in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance to prepare for Kingdom Hearts 3. However, Nomura stated that both the combat system and available franchises for the game could change, considering Square Enix's ever-changing ideals:
"Square Enix changes its philosophies pretty often...That's something I can't do anything with. I'm just one of the employees, so if the company decides to change, I have to follow. I'm a so-called 'salary man.' Of course, the creative policy I have stays the same."
Kingdom Hearts 3 will be available on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. A release date for the game has yet to be announced.