Kingdom Hearts IV – Late 2027 Release
Square Enix and Disney confirmed a late 2027 release window for Kingdom Hearts IV on:
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X|S
- Nintendo Switch 2
- PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store) KingdomHearts #KH4 #KingdomHearts4
This is the first firm timing they’ve attached to the game since its 2022 reveal.
It positions the title around the series’ Western 25th anniversary (the original game launched in 2002).
The game kicks off the new Lost Master Arc.
Sora is trapped in Quadratum, a realistic, modern city with a strong Tokyo-inspired look.
Donald and Goofy search for him, including a trip to the Underworld.
New Trailer & Coco World
A new trailer at the D23 Entertainment Showcase (and an extended version shown during the Deep Dive panel) revealed the first confirmed Disney/Pixar world: the Land of the Dead from Coco.
Key moments from the footage:
- Sora appears with Día de los Muertos-style face paint and obtains a new Coco-themed Keyblade.
- He fights Heartless alongside Miguel and Héctor (Miguel’s grandfather).
- Héctor warns about the “Final Death” that comes when the living forget the dead.
- Benjamin Bratt is reprising his role as Ernesto de la Cruz.
- Separate sequences show Donald and Goofy speaking with Hades in the Underworld (from Hercules), confirming Sora isn’t there.
- Sora briefly sees ghostly outlines of Donald and Goofy while in Quadratum.
Additional details from the extended Deep Dive trailer and panel discussion include:
- Playable sections with Mickey (searching for pages) and Donald & Goofy in the Underworld.
- Riku appearing in Quadratum.
- Confirmation of characters like Strelitzia and Sigurd (from Union χ).
- A masked boy named Vali.
- Sora mentioning something called “Dandelion Dispatch” (possibly a Quadratum help app or system).
- A confrontation involving Xigbar and Xehanort in Quadratum.
Tetsuya Nomura (who made a surprise appearance at the Deep Dive panel) noted that he likes choosing one unexpected world per mainline game, citing Coco as an example of a setting that fits the story progression.
Original Anime Series
Disney greenlit an original Kingdom Hearts anime series (working title simply Kingdom Hearts) for Disney+ and Disney Channel.
- It features a brand-new story that expands the universe rather than adapting existing games.
- Developed in close partnership with Tetsuya Nomura and the Square Enix creative team.
- New character designs have already been created specifically for the series.
- A teaser key art was released showing a mysterious Keyblade wielder from behind.
Nomura posted a message encouraging fans: he said he and the scenario team have been in detailed discussions, new designs exist, and the single key art is a deliberate hint.
His advice was essentially “let your imaginations run wild” while waiting for more details. No release window, episode count, or studio has been announced yet.
Context & Significance
This is the biggest simultaneous drop of information the series has had in years. Kingdom Hearts IV had been relatively quiet after its initial 2022 announcement (with only a short gameplay tease at the June 2026 Nintendo Direct).
The late-2027 window, multiplatform day-one launch (including native Switch 2 support), first proper world reveal, and surprise anime series together mark a major escalation in visibility for the franchise as it approaches its 25th anniversary.
The Deep Dive panel (which featured Nomura, co-director Tai Yasue, voice actors Haley Joel Osment and David Gallagher, and others) was still unfolding or wrapping up around the time of these reports, so additional comments or footage could still emerge.
