Director Tetsuya Nomura has released a public message following the recent gameplay leaks of Kingdom Hearts III. In addition, Square Enix launched a new 30-second TV spot of the game as well.
According to Eurogamer, images and videos of Kingdom Hearts III including gameplay and title screen made their way to social media. Someone had allegedly sold copies of the game on Facebook via Facebook Marketplace. At the moment, the site has removed the listing.
In response, director Tetsuya Nomura addressed the recent gameplay leaks and asks for the public to not share any of the leaks. He also mentions the steps taken by Square Enix to ensure that the leaks will not affect the experience of playing the game.
An important message for #KingdomHearts III from Director Tetsuya Nomura: pic.twitter.com/j9aVRFTS5B
— KINGDOM HEARTS (@KINGDOMHEARTS) December 16, 2018
The interesting aspect in the message is the statement saying that the epilogue and secret ending will be released at a later date. This means that both of these may be added at a later date through an update or patch. Furthermore, this statement points out that the game does not come with the ending by default. On one hand, we have to give credit to the development team in taking measurements to prevent spoilers from leaking. Yet, on the other hand, the decision of not including the full content into the game may not sit well with some fans.
Currently, some social media have taken the statement to heart and began taking action. Mods on r/KingdomHearts have issued warnings of bans if anyone posted Kingdom Hearts III leaks. We would also like to ask everyone not to share any leaks and enjoy the game as it should be.
As stated last month, Kingdom Hearts III will launch on 29 January 2019 in Malaysia. The game will come in three editions with the All-in-One Package including previous games.