After years of near-silence following its initial reveal, Kingdom Hearts 4 has finally broken cover in a big way. At D23 2026, Square Enix and Disney dropped a new trailer showcasing Pixar's Coco as the first confirmed Disney world, announced a late 2027 release window, confirmed simultaneous launch on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, and — in one of the night's biggest surprises — revealed an original Kingdom Hearts anime series coming to Disney+ and the Disney Channel.
- ▶Sources: IGN — KH4 D23 trailer, late 2027 release window · Polygon — Coco world details, anime announcement · Anime News Network — D23 panel full recap · GamesRadar — Eight years between mainline entries
At a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Title | Kingdom Hearts IV |
| Genre | Action RPG |
| Developer / Publisher | Square Enix |
| Director | Tetsuya Nomura (series creator); Tai Yasue (likely co-director) |
| Release Window | Late 2027 |
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store) |
| First Disney World | Pixar's Coco — The Land of the Dead |
| Franchise Value | Officially a $1 billion Disney franchise |
| Anime Series | Disney+ & Disney Channel — original story, release TBD |
Kingdom Hearts IV — D23 2026 Showcase Trailer featuring the Coco world
What Was Revealed at D23
Disney's biennial fan convention brought the biggest Kingdom Hearts news in years. On August 14, the Disney Entertainment Showcase debuted a 90-second trailer spotlighting Pixar's Coco. The following afternoon, a dedicated "Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts" panel expanded that with a four-minute extended cut, featuring panelists Haley Joel Osment (Sora's English voice actor), David Gallagher (Riku), Square Enix's Tai Yasue, Disney & Pixar Games' Nana Gadd, and Disney character voice director Renée Johnson.
Disney also confirmed that Kingdom Hearts has officially crossed the $1 billion franchise threshold — a designation the company reserved for nine of its top game IPs at D23.
D23 Reveals Summary:
| Announcement | Details |
|---|---|
| New trailer | 90-second version (evening); 4-minute extended cut (panel) |
| First Disney world | Pixar's Coco — Día de Muertos setting |
| Release window | Late 2027 confirmed |
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, PC (Steam, Epic, MS Store) |
| Celebrity voice | Benjamin Bratt reprises Ernesto de la Cruz |
| Anime series | Disney+ & Disney Channel, new story, Nomura involved |
| King Mickey | First proper in-game appearance in the franchise |
| Paper Mickey world | Hinted via trailer footage |
The Coco World — Deep Dive
The clear centrepiece of the reveal is the Pixar Coco world, set in The Land of the Dead.
Sora arrives decked out in Día de Muertos face paint and a themed outfit — and his Keyblade gets a full cosmetic overhaul to match: guitars, sugar skulls, marigolds, and bones form the colorful weapon's design. Combat in the trailer shows Sora teaming up with Miguel and Héctor, the film's central characters, against waves of Heartless Shadows.
“"Benjamin Bratt confirmed on Friday that he will reprise his role as Ernesto de la Cruz in the game." — Anime News Network, August 15, 2026
The villain Ernesto de la Cruz — voiced by Benjamin Bratt in the original Pixar film — returns for KH4's Coco World. The extended trailer shows Sora fighting through vibrant recreations of the Land of the Dead, with Pixar-accurate character models rendered in Kingdom Hearts' signature stylized look.
Beyond Coco — The Rest of the Trailer
| Scene | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Quadratum city | Sora's modern-world base; giant Heartless invading the city skyline |
| King Mickey | First meaningful in-game appearance; delivers monologue |
| Goofy & Donald | Arguing with Hades (Hercules villain) while searching for Sora |
| Spectral Goofy & Donald | Ghostly versions, suggesting spirit/underworld storyline |
| Paper Mickey | A flat, paper-animated Mickey appears as a hinted playable character in a new world |
The Disney+ Anime Series
Arguably the most unexpected D23 reveal: a Kingdom Hearts anime series is coming to Disney+ and the Disney Channel.
Creator Tetsuya Nomura and the Square Enix creative team are actively involved in its development. Disney describes it as "a brand-new story that will expand on the universe of Kingdom Hearts while celebrating the characters that have captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world" — positioning it as a canonical expansion, not a simplified retelling.
“"There's something really exciting about taking a world fans have spent years exploring through the games and bringing it to life in a completely new way. And with a creative team that is working closely with the legendary Tetsuya Nomura, our new series will be unmistakably Kingdom Hearts." — Ayo Davis, President of Disney Kids & Family
No release date has been announced for the anime series.
Platform Breakdown — First Simultaneous PC Release
Kingdom Hearts has historically been a PlayStation priority. KH3 launched on PS4 in January 2019, arriving on Xbox One the same day — but the PC version (Epic Games Store) didn't land until 2021.
Kingdom Hearts 4 breaks that pattern entirely with a day-one simultaneous release across all platforms:
| Platform | Storefront |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | PlayStation Store |
| Xbox Series X|S | Microsoft Store |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Nintendo eShop |
| PC | Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store |
This is the first time a mainline Kingdom Hearts title launches simultaneously on PC at release. Steam's inclusion alongside Epic is significant — KH3 never made it to Steam at all.
Eight Years Since Kingdom Hearts 3
Kingdom Hearts 3 launched January 29, 2019. By the time KH4 ships in late 2027, it will have been roughly eight years between mainline entries — the longest gap in the franchise's history.
Kingdom Hearts 4 was first announced at a 25th anniversary stream in 2022. It then made a surprise appearance at the June 2026 Nintendo Direct, delivering the first look at actual gameplay. D23 2026 marks the third major public moment for the game, and the first to confirm a release window.
| Mainline Entry | Release Date | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom Hearts 2 | March 28, 2006 | — |
| Kingdom Hearts 3 | January 29, 2019 | ~13 years |
| Kingdom Hearts 4 | Late 2027 (TBC) | ~8 years |
Community Reaction
The D23 reveals generated significant online discussion across Reddit, Twitter/X, and gaming forums.
Top talking points:
- ▶Coco world praise — Widely celebrated as a creative fit; the Day of the Dead aesthetic meshes naturally with KH's themes of memory and loss
- ▶Late 2027 concern — Many fans expected an earlier window; "at least it's confirmed" is the consensus
- ▶PC / Steam launch — Cheered loudly by PC players who skipped KH3's Epic-exclusivity or the platform gap entirely
- ▶Anime series skepticism — Some worry it could dilute the IP; others trust Nomura's involvement as a safeguard
- ▶King Mickey — One of the series' most beloved characters finally getting a proper in-game showcase
What to Watch For
| Item | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Second Disney world reveal | Coco is confirmed; the full world count remains unknown |
| KH4's story scope | KH3's ending left many threads open — whether this resolves them is the biggest narrative question |
| Anime release timing | Will it arrive before or alongside the game? |
| Switch 2 performance | First major KH on a Nintendo handheld; technical execution will be scrutinized |
| Holiday 2027 competition | GTA 6 and other major releases are targeting the same window |
Kingdom Hearts 4's D23 2026 showing was the most substantial update the franchise has received since its revival. A confirmed release window, a confirmed first Disney world, platform parity with PC from day one, and an anime series in development — all at once. Whether it can live up to eight years of anticipation depends on execution, but the foundation being laid looks ambitious. Late 2027 feels a long way off, but it's the first concrete countdown the series has had.