With fans having waited well over a decade for this moment, Kingdom Hearts 3 has finally released to the anticipation of millions on PS4 and Xbox One today and so far, it certainly seems to have lived up to expectations. Much like its fans, those involved in the making of Kingdom Hearts 3 have been waiting for this moment as well, with one of the series' leading creative minds having shared their thoughts on the big moment that we have all been waiting for.

Over on the PlayStation Blog, Kingdom Hearts 3 executive producer Shinji Hashimoto -- and one of the series' co-creators alongside Tetsuya Nomura -- shared a message with fans to coincide with the game's release worldwide today.

In the post on PlayStation Blog, Hasimoto explained that "Sora and his friends have grown a tremendous amount since his story first began in Kingdom Hearts," and that with the launch of the third mainline installment in the series, "he's become an incredibly strong and bright character supported by his trusty companions, Donald and Goofy, and his many friends he's made over the course of the series."

Outside of the themes of friendship and hope that the series has highlighted from its very beginnings, Hashimoto detailed further in his messaged that "it has been an honor to be a part of this series from the beginning," dating back to when the idea was simply just "a conversation in an elevator when Square Enix Japan was in the same building as Disney."

Specifically, Hashimoto thanked fans in his message for their "passion and positivity" leading up to the release of Kingdom Hearts 3 and how they demonstrate that the series' themes are "a message they have taken to heart." On that note, Hashimoto closed out his messaged with the hopes that fans will enjoy what he and the team have worked to create over the years, and to remember one of his favorite quotes, that "my friends are my power."

Kingdom Hearts 3 is available now on PS4 and Xbox One. If you have yet to pick up your copy of the game, you can do that now over on Amazon, and for a look at what to expect from the game, you can check out our full, spoiler-free review.