Former Kingdom Hearts Executive Producer, Shinji Hashimoto, Retires Today

May 31, 2022May 31, 2022 Orpheus Joshua

Shinji Hashimoto has announced that he is now officially retiring from Square Enix today. He has been a prominent fixture in the company, being significantly involved in Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy. He served as the executive producer for every Kingdom Hearts release spanning the Dark Seeker saga alongside being a promotional producer for Final Fantasy before becoming a Corporate Advisor in May 2021.

Rest well, Hashimoto, you’ve earned it.

You can view Shinji Hashimoto’s tweets announcing his retirement below:

皆様、お疲れ様です。本日5月31日（火）をもちまして定年退職することになりました。在職中は多方面の皆々様方々には大変お世話になりました。これからは、一スクエニファンとして応援させて頂きたいと思います。本当にありがとうございました。 pic.twitter.com/yIj89uvh8x

— shinji hashimoto (@shinjihashimot3) May 31, 2022

Shinji Hashimoto retires from Square Enix today and we're very lucky to have received a video message from him.

Thank you for everything, @shinjihashimot3! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/LHowKYfgqX

— Square Enix (@SquareEnix) May 31, 2022

In Kingdom Hearts IV , Sora is in Quadratum with Strelitzia, a prominent character from Kingdom Hearts Union χ . This setting is an afterworld for the two characters following their tragic fates. Additionally, this new saga has been titled the Lost Master Arc. Further, some combat footage was showcased, with Sora performing Keyblade transformations against a giant entity that seems to be a Heartless? We don’t know for sure.

“The heart resides within the soul, which in turn is guided by fate to its rightful place” is a crucial phrase used at the start of this trailer for the upcoming mainline game.