Kingdom Hearts 4 creator and director Tetsuya Nomura reassured fans that the upcoming title from Disney and Square Enix would not be delayed beyond its Late 2027 release window. Kingdom Hearts 4 is set to launch on all current-gen platforms simultaneously at an undisclosed date sometime next year.
During the biennial D23 expo in Anaheim, Disney and Square Enix unveiled that a world based on Pixar’s hit 2017 movie Coco would be featured in Kingdom Hearts 4. A trailer showed Sora and Coco characters Miguel and Hector fighting off the Heartless, with Sora donning some thematic attire and a new Keyblade to blend in with Coco‘s colorful Land of the Dead. However, it is unclear how Coco will fit into the overall story of Kingdom Hearts 4, so fans must wait for more information.
Nomura Doubles Down on Kingdom Hearts 4’s Late 2027 Release Window
While Disney and Square Enix have since delisted the YouTube video of the Kingdom Hearts Deep Dive panel at D23, some footage was clipped and saved on social media. According to a translated clip posted by Aitaikimochi on Twitter, Nomura stated that he saw comments online before the panel that doubted Kingdom Hearts 4 would meet its Late 2027 release window. In light of these doubts, Nomura said, “But I can say with certainty that it will be out in 2027 without delays.” Nomura was then backed up by Kingdom Hearts 4 co-director Tai Yasue, who said that Kingdom Hearts 4 would “100%” arrive next year. Nomura also shared an extended version of the Coco trailer, which confirmed that King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy would be playable in Kingdom Hearts 4.
The extended trailer also gave Kingdom Hearts fans a look at Riku’s updated appearance, along with confirming that Donald and Goofy would also appear in Coco‘s Land of the Dead at some point in the game’s story. Nomura stated he and Yasue would be heading back to Tokyo shortly after D23 to continue working on Kingdom Hearts 4, which emphasized their commitment to the game’s development. Nomura also remarked that the development of Kingdom Hearts 4 was progressing “way faster than expected” and said that he was looking forward to seeing fans play the game once it arrives sometime in 2027. Nomura also confirmed during D23 that he was heavily involved in the ongoing development of the Kingdom Hearts anime series set to launch on Disney+ at an undisclosed date.
To close out the D23 Kingdom Hearts panel, the English voice actors for Sora and Riku, Haley Joel Osment and David Gallagher, reenacted the ending scenes from Kingdom Hearts 2 on-stage. Despite portraying their respective characters for over two decades, the occasion marked the first time that Osment and Gallagher had dubbed voice lines from Kingdom Hearts together in the same room. Disney previously confirmed via the D23 app that Gallagher would reprise his role as Riku for Kingdom Hearts 4.
Though a precise release date remains elusive, Kingdom Hearts 4 joins a loaded 2027 slate of game launches from Square Enix. Alongside Final Fantasy 14: Evercold launching in January and Final Fantasy 7 Revelation set to arrive in spring 2027, Square Enix is about to go on one of its hottest streaks to date.
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
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Kingdom Hearts
