When Kingdom Hearts IV resurfaced at June’s Nintendo Direct, we called it one of the most highly anticipated games of the decade, if it even comes out this decade. Square Enix answered that quip at the Disney Entertainment Showcase during D23 today, confirming that Kingdom Hearts IV launches in late 2027. The new trailer, which Pixar announced and premiered on its own YouTube channel, also reveals the game’s first Disney world: Coco, based on Pixar’s 2017 film set around the Day of the Dead.
The trailer appears to follow the film’s story until the Heartless show up and Sora intervenes, and he gets a full makeover for the occasion, sporting a skeletal look and a guitar-shaped Keyblade. Elsewhere in the footage, Mickey digs through a library searching for a way to save Sora, while Donald and Goofy pay Hades a visit under the assumption that their missing friend is in the underworld. Coco star Benjamin Bratt delivered the announcement on stage and confirmed he’s voicing Ernesto de la Cruz in the game, reprising his role from the film. It’s the first world officially confirmed for Kingdom Hearts IV, which picks up after Sora’s disappearance at the end of Kingdom Hearts III and takes place partly in the realistic city of Quadratum.
The game wasn’t the only Kingdom Hearts announcement of the night, as Disney also greenlit an original anime series for Disney Channel and Disney+. Developed in partnership with series creator Tetsuya Nomura and the creative team at Square Enix, the show reimagines the franchise with a brand-new story that expands the Kingdom Hearts universe rather than retelling Sora’s journey from the games. Disney Kids & Family president Ayo Davis said the series will give fans “a whole new way to experience the world they love.” No premiere window, animation studio, or story details have been shared yet, but with the franchise having sold more than 39 million units since the original launched in March 2002, a series push was probably only a matter of time.
The bigger picture for Square Enix is what the late 2027 window does to its calendar. Final Fantasy XIV’s Evercold expansion launches in January 2027, Final Fantasy VII Revelation closes out the remake trilogy in spring 2027, and now Kingdom Hearts IV caps the year. That’s three of the publisher’s biggest properties all shipping major releases within twelve months of each other.
Kingdom Hearts IV is now available to wishlist on PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S, and Switch 2, with PC wishlists live on XBOX on PC, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. For those wanting to catch up first, Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] bundles the entire saga to date and arrives October 8, 2026. As for D23, the Kingdom Hearts 25th anniversary panel we covered last month runs tomorrow, August 15, at 4:30 PM Pacific (7:30 PM Eastern), and unlike today’s showcase, it’ll be livestreamed on the official Kingdom Hearts YouTube channel. The panel description didn’t tease any new announcements when the lineup was revealed, though after a night like this, there may not be much left in the tank.
