'Kingdom Hearts 3' teaser might hint at 'Final Fantasy XII' crossover

“Final Fantasy XII” launched seven years ago in Japan, and to commemorate the same, Square Enix released a screenshot from its upcoming PlayStation 4 remake. On the other side of the fence, a new screenshot from “Kingdom Hearts 3,” which paid rightful tribute to “Final Fantasy,” was also released.

The “Final Fantasy XII” screenshot, which can be seen below, was described by Square Enix as “key art” for the upcoming remake. It features Cloud and his iconic Buster Sword in the foreground, with Midgar -- the base of the Shinra Electric Power Company -- behind him. It is evident from the image that both the protagonist and Sephiroth have come a long way from their original imagery in 1997.

The Japanese Twitter account of “Kingdom Hearts 3” also released a new screenshot, which greeted “Final Fantasy XII” for its two decades in the market. The image, seen below, is a relatively simple one. The shot is taken behind Sora, as he comfortably holds a special Keyblade in his hands. In front of him is the castle of Mickey Mouse.

To the untrained eye, the new “Kingdom Hearts 3” screenshot is just another image. However, some fans (via Twitter) of the franchises began to point out that it is a clever tribute to one of the most iconic shots from “Final Fantasy XII.” In the same image, Cloud is shot from behind with his own sword held behind him as well.

The images from both “Final Fantasy XII Remake” and “Kingdom Hearts 3” do not give anything away about the upcoming releases. Details may be scarce for a few more months as Tetsuya Nomura -- director for both titles -- has confirmed that production is taking a little longer than expected. Interested individuals are likely to see some progress within the year.

Cloud is no stranger to the world of “Kingdom Hearts,” as he and a few other characters have been featured in the game. Some have speculated that the tribute is indicative of Cloud’s return to the title, but nothing regarding this has been confirmed at this point. In fact, very few details regarding the release of KH3 has been made official.

Meanwhile, the “Final Fantasy 7” remake was announced more than year ago, but it also seems like Square Enix is still in the early stages of its production. In an interview with Famitsu (via Siliconera), producer Yoshinori Kitase did give an update on the title’s development. “We’re currently brushing up the scene from the announcement trailer,” he said. “We can now see the line of quality that we’re aiming for more clearly, but there's still a way to go.”