"Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" recently received a Japanese release date by Square Enix via new trailer, shown during Sony's PlayStation Conference. The HD re-mastered collection of the "Kingdom Hearts" series was supposed to come out in December this year but now has a Jan. 12, 2017 release date. European and North American versions of the game "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" will come out 12 days later on Jan. 24, 2017.
A Twitter update by Square Enix USA confirmed the European and North American release dates. "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" co-director Tai Yasue earlier said that the game would be releasing globally in December.
However, it seems Square Enix has missed the original date. Many have attributed this delay in launch to the company's another very popular installment "Final Fantasy XV." Its release date has also been shifted from Sept. 30 to Nov. 29. This in turn has led to speculations that the "Kingdom Hearts 3" release date will also be extended, possibly 2018 or later.
As "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" will not be out till January 2017, fans should not expect any update regarding "Kingdom Hearts 3" until February or March 2017. The "Kingdom Hearts 2.8" is reportedly a buildup to "Kingdom Hearts 3" that will include three chapters to prepare players for the next sequel.
According to Mobile & Apps, the playable chapter "Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage," will feature one of the first wielders of the Keyblade, Aqua, and also her fight against the Heartless. The "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" will consist of "Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover" that recites the story of the Foretellers. The main chapter would be the HD re-master of "Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance," originally released on Nintendo 3DS.
