Sora, Riku and Kairi bring their Keyblades to Fortnite

Sora, Riku and Kairi are coming to Fortnite, Keyblades ready. A new trailer for Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 shows the three Kingdom Hearts heroes fighting side by side inside the online game.

Fortnite runs as a live-service game, free to play and refreshed in chapters and seasons with new maps, weapons and guest characters. Chapter 7 Season 4 is the current season. Collaborations that add new outfits and items are a regular part of how each season works.

The trailer leans into recognition. Sora, Riku and Kairi appear in their looks from Kingdom Hearts 2, the Disney and Square Enix action role-playing game. Each carries their own Keyblade, the key-shaped sword that serves as the series' signature weapon. They use those blades against small, shadowy enemies that resemble the Heartless, the recurring monsters from Kingdom Hearts, on a bright beach that looks like Destiny Islands, the home of the trio in Kingdom Hearts lore. GameSpot

The music gives it away. The sequence is set to "Sanctuary" by Utada Hikaru, the theme song for Kingdom Hearts 2, which plays as the three charge into the fight.

For readers who do not follow Fortnite closely, the setup is simple. Skins are character outfits that change how a player looks in a match. The loot pool is the rotating set of weapons and items that players can pick up while exploring the island during a game. Both ideas are in play here. Players will be able to look like the Kingdom Hearts cast, and to fight with one of their weapons.

Four skins are expected: Sora, Riku, Kairi and Roxas, a fourth Kingdom Hearts character. They are due to arrive with the next major update on Thursday, 17 September, alongside Sora's Kingdom Key as a usable weapon in the Chapter 7 Season 4 loot pool. GameSpot That timing lines up with Fortnite update 42.20, which is scheduled for the same date. Tribune

The trio are together again. Sora, Riku and Kairi began the Kingdom Hearts story as childhood friends on an island, later separated by long journeys between worlds. For fans, this means a familiar reunion in unfamiliar territory, with familiar clothes, familiar blades and a familiar song carried into Fortnite.