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With the inclusion of Pixar's Toy Story in Kingdom Hearts III, references to the Kingdom Hearts series may have found a new place to hide! Eagle-eyed Kingdom Hearts fans have noticed that some trailers and TV spots for the upcoming Toy Story 4 seem to contain a brief yet interesting homage. During a scene where the toys are attempting to rescue Forky, a spork-based toy, from the local antique store, Buzz Lightyear ponders the idea of obtaining a key from one of the shop's employees. The key in question happens to bear a striking resemblance to Sora's signature Keyblade, the Kingdom Key. While the head of the key is almost a spitting image of the iconic sword, the teeth take a few creative liberties, lacking the distinctive crown shape of the Kingdom Key's teeth. The staff of Pixar worked closely with Square Enix when Kingdom Hearts III was in development, so this may be a clever nod to their relationship. Toy Story 4 begins playing in theaters tomorrow, on June 20th! Do you think this key could be Toy Story 4's way of referencing Kingdom Hearts? What other types of references to the series would you like to see from Disney and Pixar? Have you found any other interesting nods toward the series? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!

Hot Topic and Fan Factory are currently running a contest where Kingdom Hearts fans can submit an original t-shirt design, to potentially be sold at Hot Topic locations. Submissions are accepted until June 11th at 11:59 PM PST, while the voting period for the contest takes place from June 12th at 12:00 AM PST until June 18th at 11:59 PM PST. The grand-prize winner of this contest will be awarded $2000 USD, and will have the opportunity for their design to be sold through Hot Topic. In addition, four runners-up will be awarded $300 each. This contest is limited to residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Entrants must be above the age of 18. According to the contest's guidelines and FAQ, t-shirt submissions must adhere to the following: Designs cannot use intellectual property that has not been featured in the Kingdom Hearts series. This includes Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm franchises, as well as material that infringes on non-Kingdom Hearts copyrights and brands. In addition, for legal reasons, elements from Tarzan, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Final Fantasy cannot be used in any capacity, despite their inclusion in the Kingdom Hearts universe. Furthermore, obscene/inappropriate content or content touching upon polarizing topics will not be considered. Lastly, entrants must not copy existing artists or artwork. Each individual entrant can submit up to 10 designs, so if you have plenty of ideas, don't feel as though you have to narrow it down to a single choice! Hot Topic and Fan Factory have stated that designers are also free to promote their submitted work to friends, family, and followers, so let people know that you've entered! We look forward to seeing upcoming submissions, and we would be thrilled to share the news that your shirt design has won and is available for sale! Good luck, everyone! You can view winners of previous Fan Factory contests here. Are you going to enter this contest? Do you have any other ideas for Kingdom Hearts-related products that you want to see in the future? Let us know in the comments below!

In an interview conducted after the premiere of the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra -World of Tres- in Tokyo, Kingdom Hearts series composers Yoko Shimomura, Takeharu Ishimoto, and Tsuyoshi Sekito were asked about how it feels to work on live music for an orchestra. Among the topics covered, they talked about the creative process that goes into the Kingdom Hearts concert tours. They revealed that they experienced difficulties in choosing a setlist and arranging each track, ultimately settling on 77 tracks which represent the entire series and Kingdom Hearts III in particular. They also discussed what they found appealing in each others' musical styles, and expressed gratitude toward the fans for continuing to enjoy their concerts. Following this interview, series director Tetsuya Nomura wrote a short comment, where he described the editing process for the concert's video footage and talked about his previous appearances at the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra performances. Here, Nomura noted that it's no longer a surprise when he appears. Hinting that he may no longer show up, he told fans to be eager about the next event. You can view a translation of the full interview below. Translations for this interview have been provided by KH13 staff member Mio-chan as well as Katie Armstrong. What did you think of this interview? Are you excited for the upcoming international performances of -World of Tres-? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Hot Topic is now selling four t-shirt designs based on Funko's Kingdom Hearts III line of POP! figures. Announced by Funko last Wednesday, these shirts feature Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey depicted in Funko's signature style. At the time of this article's publication, the shirts are currently 20% off their standard price; where they would normally range from $22.90 to $24.90 USD depending on size, they are instead retailing for anywhere between $18.32 and $19.92 USD. The four designs available are a Monsters Inc.-inspired design, Mickey against a Station of Awakening platform, Sora against a checkered background, and Sora in a Toy Story-inspired design. Thank you to Churro for the tip! Will you be picking any of these shirts up? Do you own any of the Funko POP! figures they are based on? Let us know in the comments below!

Amazon is now selling official Kingdom Hearts III t-shirts! Each of the shirt designs is retailing for $22.99 USD, all featuring renders of the main characters from Kingdom Hearts III, while one design simply features the game's logo. Each shirt design is also available in a variety of colors. These new shirts can all be found at the links below. Characters and Symbols Group 1 Group 2 Action Grid Mickey Sora Kairi, Sora, Riku Sora, Donald, Goofy Sora Silhouette Kingdom Hearts III Logo Thank you to Churro for the tip! Do any of these shirts catch your eye, in particular? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr for updates and information on all things Kingdom Hearts!

In an interview with GameReactor during the 2019 Game Developers Conference, Kingdom Hearts series co-director Tai Yasue took the opportunity to speak about the development of Kingdom Hearts III, while also touching upon the team's plan for the future. Yasue mentioned that one of the primary goals during development was to understand and learn what players wanted out of Kingdom Hearts III. On the game's upcoming Critical Mode, Yasue said that the development team wanted to "do it the right way," instead of solely altering HP and damage values. They decided to implement new abilities that will resonate with a more technical playstyle, and also focused on making players think about their actions both inside and outside of battle. In addition, Critical Mode will feature AI adjustments to prevent it from feeling unfair, but it will still push players to their limits and encourage them to utilize the game's full array of options, such as cooking meals to gain stat benefits. Yasue stated that the team is very happy with the warm and positive response that Kingdom Hearts III has received from both fans and critics, especially since the team was very worried about how fans would react. He said that they really focused on exceeding fans' expectations and wanted to do as much as they could. While other games end up cutting various elements due to cost or time constraints, Yasue feels confident that the team was able to accomplish everything that they wanted to implement. He thanked the fans for their encouragement throughout the development process.

The EP for "Face My Fears" by Utada Hikaru and Skrillex is now available as a set of vinyl records! Previously released as a CD and also available on various digital storefronts, the Face My Fears EP features both the English and Japanese versions of the opening and ending themes for Kingdom Hearts III. The first disc features the English tracks, Face My Fears and Don't Think Twice, while the second disc features the Japanese tracks, Face My Fears and Chikai. This vinyl release is available for $22.98 on Amazon. Are you a vinyl collector in addition to being an Utada fan? Let us know in the comments below!

As part of Epic Games' "State of Unreal" presentation during the 2019 Game Developers Conference, Kingdom Hearts series co-director Tai Yasue gave a brief keynote statement about the development of Kingdom Hearts III, detailing the technical advantages that Unreal Engine 4 provided. Yasue spoke about Kingdom Hearts III's basic gameplay systems, the animation process for the game's special effects, and the technical features that Unreal Engine 4 provided, including volumetric clouds, water effects, and lighting, which can all be easily changed to suit the different environments of each world. Alongside this speech, testing and development footage was shown. This footage included Sora and a player-controlled Rapunzel roaming around a test room in a showcase of their movement, the clouds of Olympus being given different shapes and volumes, the waves of The Caribbean changing in intensity, and the lighting of the Kingdom of Corona lantern scene changing with the placement of additional lanterns. All of these adjustments were done in real-time as the game was running, showcasing the flexibility of the engine. What did you think of Tai Yasue's brief presentation? Do you hope to see the Kingdom Hearts team utilize Unreal Engine in even bolder ways in the future? Let us know in the comments below!

In a brief statement to Game Informer during the 2019 Game Developers Conference, Kingdom Hearts series co-director Tai Yasue confirmed that the highly-anticipated Critical Mode would be coming to Kingdom Hearts III very soon. Curiously absent from Kingdom Hearts III at launch, the Critical Mode difficulty setting has been a staple for the series ever since its introduction in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, with its only other absences being Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and the original version of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. Yasue stated that Critical Mode in Kingdom Hearts III would be more than just a value change, referring to the HP, MP, and damage output of Sora, his allies, and the game's various enemies. He also said that Critical Mode is "more technical and offensive," and will be geared toward those who are "good at action games" and "timing their attacks". He concluded this brief discussion by stating that the skill required will change the way that players will play the game. What do you hope to see in this more extensively-adjusted Critical Mode? Will you be giving it a shot once it finally gets added to Kingdom Hearts III? Let us know in the comments below!

The Kingdom Hearts VR Experience is finally releasing worldwide! Owners of the PlayStation VR headset will soon be able to immerse themselves in some of the series' most memorable scenes, when the application launches on Thursday, February 28th. As with the previously released Japanese version, the Kingdom Hearts VR Experience includes a ten-minute-long interactive video featuring footage and music from the series' history. In addition, players will be able to unlock new content over time, including an interactive battle against several Heartless. Do you own a PlayStation VR headset? Will you be getting one to experience Kingdom Hearts in VR? Let us know in the comments below!

During E3 of 2018, Square Enix announced a variety of limited edition products for Kingdom Hearts III, including the Deluxe Edition + Bring Arts figures, as well as a limited edition PlayStation 4 Pro. The former found its way to the Square Enix store immediately, while the latter was sadly nowhere to be found outside of Japan, at least for several months. Upon the news that GameStop and other retailers would be carrying the console worldwide, fans went wild attempting to pre-order this rare system. With a bit of luck and a hit to my spending money, I was fortunate enough to obtain both of these highly sought-after items. Below, you can see my unboxing of the various contents that I received on the afternoon of January 28th. Overall, I am very happy with everything I received! The Kingdom Hearts III Deluxe Edition itself is quite a step up from most other collector's editions the series has had over the years. The inclusion of a standard case alongside the steelbook is very considerate for those of us who love to collect the series' various box arts. The steelbook's design is not only pleasing to look at, but as an attendee of Kingdom Hearts III's Premiere Event last year, it also brought back a lot of good memories for me, due to a similar aesthetic being used quite frequently at that event's venue. The artbook, like others before it, is a treat to look through, showcasing various worlds, characters, and Keyblades from the game. Finally, the pin is quite awesome. While it's not quite as unique as prior Kingdom Hearts pins have been, it carries a lot of charm in a simple design and relatively simple shape. It certainly doesn't disappoint! Regarding the Bring Arts figures, while I found it strange that the Sora Bring Arts figure's head was detached from the body, the fix for such an issue is relatively easy. I will, however, echo a long-standing sentiment about this line of figures: the plastic for the hands should be softer and more malleable. All too often, I see complaints about trying to attach a figure's hands (an issue I actually had in my unboxing), as well as trying to fit weapons into the appropriate hand models. Fans would often struggle to pry the fingers apart in order to fit a Keyblade or other object. This is an issue which has persisted with the Play Arts and Bring Arts figure lines for years, and I hope to someday see a change to reflect this request. Otherwise, these figures are definitely on par with other Play Arts and Bring Arts lines, with every single bit of detail and quality that such a standard entails. In particular, these Toy Story figures look like they could have jumped out from the game itself! Very impressive, regardless of any minor issues I have! Speaking about the PlayStation 4 Pro, the quality of the product is absolutely astounding. I was initially very skeptical about the leather-like finish the console's top plate had received, thinking that it was nothing more than empty marketing. However, after holding the console in my hands and running my fingers across this finish, I can now say that the claims are absolutely warranted. The feeling isn't quite that of actual leather, but the imitation is superb regardless. If this is the level of quality we can expect from Square Enix's limited-edition consoles in the future, I can't wait to see what else they might bring to us in the future. Kingdom Hearts III is now available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One! Follow our master coverage of Kingdom Hearts III and stay up to date with the latest news via our Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Discord! Latest news: - Skrillex talks about producing "Face My Fears" with Utada Hikaru - Kingdom Hearts Snapchat crown filter available for limited time - Kingdom Hearts III trophy list

The wait for Kingdom Hearts III is nearly over! While the game has already been released in Japan as of January 25th, and has garnered critical acclaim from a variety of major gaming publications, the game will release worldwide in just a few more days, on Tuesday, January 29th! After five and a half years of news and updates regarding the game's development, as well as nearly 17 years of story buildup, the Kingdom Hearts community's long journey toward the final entry in the Xehanort saga has finally come to a close. To celebrate this long-awaited occasion, several content creators have produced retrospectives covering Kingdom Hearts III's development, while also asking several fans for their perspectives on the series. In addition, many content creators have released videos that retell the long-running lore of the franchise, assisting newer players in getting caught up for Kingdom Hearts III and allowing older fans to reminisce on some of their favorite moments. We at KH13.com would like to highlight a selection of these content creators for their hard work and dedication toward the franchise, and give fans one last chance to catch up on the storyline and development history leading to Kingdom Hearts III! Development Retrospectives KH13.com has produced its own development retrospective, which was released earlier this month, on January 19th! Several content creators such as KZXcellent and KeybladeSarah were involved with this project, narrating the film and giving their opinions on every step the franchise has taken over its 17-year history. Additional development history retrospectives can be found at the following links: Kingdom Hearts 3 Retrospective: The Story & Journey So Far - VoltEditzz The History of Kingdom Hearts - GameSpot Storyline Recaps We would be doing a massive disservice if we did not particularly highlight longtime contributor Everglow's KINGDOM HEARTS TIMELINE video series. Spanning 122 episodes with over 65 hours of content, this series recently reached its conclusion on January 13th, and has been widely praised as one of the most well-produced Kingdom Hearts fan works ever created. While there unfortunately isn't enough time to fully enjoy this video series before the release of Kingdom Hearts III, it will undoubtedly continue to capture fans' hearts for years to come. Additional storyline recaps can be found at the following links: Kingdom Hearts Story Summary - Suggestive Gaming The complete story of Kingdom Hearts - Eurogamer The (Simplified) Kingdom Hearts Timeline - The Leaderboard While we sadly cannot cover every single retrospective that has been released in recent memory, we appreciate every single content creator who dedicates their time to the Kingdom Hearts series! Kingdom Hearts III is now available in Japan, and will be available worldwide on January 29th! Which of these videos did you enjoy the most? Is there one that we missed that you absolutely adore? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check in on our release coverage of Kingdom Hearts III!