Kingdom Hearts 3 Leaks; Director Asks Fans To Not Post Spoilers

One of the most anticipated games of 2019, Kingdom Hearts III, isn't due out until the end of January, but it has already leaked in some capacity. Game director Tetsuya Nomura responded to the unfortunate news, saying in a statement that he urges people to not share any spoiler-y videos. Specifically, Nomura said he hopes players don't spoil the "epilogue and secret movie," as these represent the game's "biggest spoilers" overall, though he didn't say why.

"We want everyone to be able to equally experience the full game after its release, so we ask for your continued support on this matter," Nomura said.

Regarding the leak, Nomura said he and the team are aware of a "small portion" of the game emerging online ahead of time. He also stated that Square Enix knows "how this has all happened," though he didn't share any specifics.

"We're sorry to see this caused concern amongst our fans who are excited for the release," he said. "We're one month out from the release. Let's enjoy the game together when it releases on January 29, 2019."

According to Eurogamer, Kingdom Hearts III's title screen and other elements have emerged online. Leaks are nothing new in gaming, but this one comes six weeks out from launch, which makes it notable. Fans hoping to go into the experience with fresh eyes should be careful on social media sites and elsewhere between now and launch.

Kingdom Hearts III is the first new numbered entry since Kingdom Hearts 2 in 2005, so it has been quite a long time, indeed. Fans have been waiting a long time to see this story resolve, and Square Enix and Disney have put the requisite work in to make it a treat for fans--including pulling familiar voices from its various Disney movies.

The game launches on January 29 for playStation 4 and Xbox One. Since the leak, we've gotten the final Kingdom Hearts III trailer.