The long wait for news about Sora’s next adventure finally delivered several major surprises at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
A new “Kingdom Hearts IV” trailer revealed a vibrant world inspired by Disney and Pixar’s “Coco,” confirmed a late 2027 release window and showed that Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy will become playable characters. Disney also announced that an original “Kingdom Hearts” anime series is being developed for Disney+ and Disney Channel.
The announcements arrived as Disney and Square Enix began celebrating the 25th anniversary of the crossover saga that brought Disney characters and worlds into an original action role-playing universe.
Kingdom Hearts IV Is Coming in Late 2027
During the Disney Entertainment Showcase at the Honda Center on August 14, fans were shown a new trailer for “Kingdom Hearts IV.” The presentation confirmed that the game is currently scheduled to arrive in late 2027.
“Kingdom Hearts IV” will be available for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game is now available to add to digital wish lists, although an exact release date has not been announced.
The next installment will continue the story of Sora, whose fate was left uncertain following the events of “Kingdom Hearts III” and its “Re Mind” expansion.
While many questions remain about the new storyline, the footage shown at D23 provided a much clearer look at at least one of the Disney and Pixar worlds that players will be able to explore.
Coco Is Coming to Kingdom Hearts IV
The new trailer confirmed that “Kingdom Hearts IV” will include a world inspired by Disney and Pixar’s “Coco.”
The colorful footage offered a glimpse of the franchise’s interpretation of the Land of the Dead. The visually elaborate setting appears to be a natural match for “Kingdom Hearts,” which has always combined Disney environments with battles, exploration and emotional stories about friendship and memory.
“Coco” follows Miguel, a young musician who travels into the Land of the Dead and uncovers the truth about his family’s history. Those themes could connect closely with the larger “Kingdom Hearts” story, although Disney and Square Enix have not revealed exactly how Miguel and the other “Coco” characters will factor into the game.
The new environment also marks another major Pixar addition to the series. “Kingdom Hearts III” previously introduced worlds based on “Toy Story” and “Monsters, Inc.”
Mickey, Donald and Goofy Will Be Playable
Fans attending the “DEEP DIVE into KINGDOM HEARTS” panel at the Anaheim Convention Center received an extended version of the new trailer with an additional surprise.
Players will be able to control Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy as the trio searches for information about Sora’s whereabouts.
Donald and Goofy have accompanied Sora throughout much of the saga, while Mickey has played a central role as a Keyblade wielder and protector of the worlds. The new playable segments could allow fans to experience part of the story from the Disney characters’ perspective while Sora’s friends attempt to locate him.
Disney and Square Enix have not explained how frequently players will control the trio or whether each character will have individual playable sections. However, the announcement suggests that “Kingdom Hearts IV” will tell a broader story that extends beyond Sora’s immediate journey.
An Original Kingdom Hearts Anime Is in Development
The surprises extended beyond the upcoming video game.
Disney announced that an original “Kingdom Hearts” anime series, currently operating under a working title, is in development for Disney Channel and Disney+.
The project is being developed in collaboration with “Kingdom Hearts” creator Tetsuya Nomura and the creative team at Square Enix. A piece of key art for the proposed series was also revealed during D23.
Story details, a voice cast and a premiere date were not announced. Disney also has not confirmed whether the series will adapt the existing games, tell an original story or provide a new entry point for viewers unfamiliar with the saga.
The involvement of Nomura and the Square Enix team should help the series remain connected to the creative identity of the games. It could also give Disney an opportunity to introduce the elaborate “Kingdom Hearts” mythology to a wider Disney+ and Disney Channel audience.
D23 Celebrates 25 Years of Kingdom Hearts
The “DEEP DIVE into KINGDOM HEARTS” panel commemorated the franchise’s upcoming 25th anniversary and explored how its unusual Disney and Square Enix collaboration developed into a long-running saga.
The panel included:
- Tetsuya Nomura, creator of “Kingdom Hearts”
- Tai Yasue, co-director of “Kingdom Hearts”
- Nana Gadd, director of Product Development for Disney & Pixar Games
The three reflected on the history of the series and discussed the process of adapting Disney and Pixar movies into explorable game worlds. They also examined how the developers created original locations and characters that expanded the mythology beyond the stories featured in Disney films.
Since the original game’s release in 2002, “Kingdom Hearts” has taken players through worlds based on properties including “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Frozen,” “Hercules,” “Peter Pan,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Toy Story” and “Winnie the Pooh.”
The franchise has also developed its own increasingly complex story involving Keyblade wielders, Heartless, Nobodies and a struggle between light and darkness.
The Voices of Sora and Riku Reunited
The D23 panel also celebrated the performers who helped give the series its emotional identity.
Renée Johnson, creative director for Disney Character Voices, joined members of the cast for a conversation about the voice-recording process behind the games.
Haley Joel Osment, the English-language voice of Sora, and David Gallagher, the voice of Riku, surprised the audience by performing a scene from “Kingdom Hearts” live onstage.
Fans also received a recorded message from Miyu Irino, who has voiced Sora in the Japanese versions of the games.
The appearance brought together performers who have been associated with Sora and Riku for much of the franchise’s history, adding a nostalgic moment to the 25th-anniversary celebration.
Kingdom Hearts Collection [I–III] Arrives in October
Fans hoping to revisit the story—or attempt to understand it for the first time—will soon have another way to experience the saga.
“Kingdom Hearts Collection [I–III]” will be released on October 8, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Preorders are now available.
The bundle brings together three major collections:
- “Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX”
- “Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue”
- “Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind”
Together, the included games and cinematic presentations cover the major events leading into “Kingdom Hearts IV.” Platform-exclusive Keyblades are also included with qualifying purchases.
A Major New Era for Kingdom Hearts
The D23 announcements provided longtime fans with something they had been waiting years to receive: a release window for “Kingdom Hearts IV” and a meaningful new look at Sora’s next adventure.
The addition of “Coco,” playable versions of Mickey, Donald and Goofy, and an original anime in development gives the franchise several different ways to begin its next era. The upcoming collection will also make it easier for new and returning players to prepare before the fourth numbered game arrives.
Many mysteries still remain, including Sora’s current situation, the role of the “Coco” characters and the story Disney plans to tell in the animated series. With the 25th-anniversary celebration now underway and “Kingdom Hearts IV” scheduled for late 2027, Disney and Square Enix have opened the door to another ambitious chapter in the battle between light and darkness.
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