During Friday night’s D23 Disney Entertainment Showcase, Disney and Square Enix made a massive triple-announcement for the beloved franchise. They revealed a late 2027 release window for Kingdom Hearts IV, showcased Pixar’s Coco as the sequel’s first official Disney world with actor Benjamin Bratt returning as Ernesto de la Cruz, and formally greenlit Kingdom Hearts: The Series for Disney+ and Disney Channel. Together, these updates represent the most substantial expansion for the series since its 2002 debut, delivering a major game sequel, a new setting, a target release date, and a dedicated animated series all in one go.
This dual strategy makes a lot of sense. Rather than adapting the games directly, the upcoming anime—created alongside franchise director Tetsuya Nomura and Square Enix—will feature an original story designed to broaden the lore of the Kingdom Hearts universe. Given how intimidating the sprawling narrative and numerous spin-offs can be for newcomers, a fresh animated project on Disney+ serves as the ideal entry point to attract casual viewers who may not play video games, while giving longtime fans something exciting to watch while they wait for the next game.
Coco Brings the Land of the Dead to Kingdom Hearts IV
The crown jewel of the D23 presentation was the confirmation that Pixar’s Coco will be the first new Disney/Pixar world featured in Kingdom Hearts IV. Players will see Sora transform into his skeletal Day of the Dead form, sporting skull paint and a Keyblade creatively redesigned with marigolds and a guitar, as he explores the vibrant purple and orange afterlife from the 2017 Oscar-winning film.
For those unfamiliar, Coco follows twelve-year-old Miguel Rivera, whose family has strictly forbidden music. Dreaming of following in the footsteps of his musical idol, Ernesto de la Cruz, Miguel accidentally wanders into the Land of the Dead on Día de los Muertos. To return home before sunrise, he teams up with a forgotten spirit named Héctor to uncover a buried family secret. It is arguably the most emotionally resonant Pixar property the franchise has tackled yet, and notably, the only confirmed KH4 world so far that separates Sora from his usual companions, Donald and Goofy.
As the D23 trailer shows, Donald and Goofy are off on their own frantic multi-world search while Sora is trapped. Their investigation leads them to the Underworld in Olympus to question Hades. After consulting his records, Hades confirms that Sora’s soul never crossed his path, eliminating the most obvious possibility while leaving Sora’s exact whereabouts a mystery to his friends. Back in the Land of the Dead, Sora’s combat heavily incorporates the film’s musical themes, blending Héctor’s bone-throwing and Miguel’s guitar-driven sonic blasts into dynamic team combo attacks.
Benjamin Bratt took the D23 stage to verify that he is reprising his role as Ernesto de la Cruz, marking the first time an original voice actor from a Pixar film is officially lending their voice to a Kingdom Hearts world. De la Cruz—the charming musician whose appealing facade masks a darker nature—fits right in with the series’ long-running tradition of Disney villains who hide their true motives.
New Details Emerge About Quadratum
The D23 footage also gave fans another look at Quadratum, the photorealistic Tokyo-inspired city first introduced in June 2026. The trailer highlights Sora’s ongoing struggles against the Heartless there, alongside a telling moment where Sora faints upon catching a brief glimpse of Donald and Goofy, hinting that his memories of them have been altered or suppressed within this reality. This neatly validates the game’s split-narrative design: Sora is navigating Disney worlds while his friends look for him from the outside.
Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Kingdom Hearts IV utilizes Nanite and Lumen to render Quadratum’s hyper-realistic urban landscape. However, blending this aesthetic with the vibrant, stylized skeletal designs and warm color palette of the Coco world presents a unique technical hurdle that will require careful lighting and shader adjustments within the same engine.
How a Late 2027 Release Window Impacts Fans
Square Enix has officially locked in a late 2027 release window for Kingdom Hearts IV, giving fans their first concrete timeline. The title is set to launch simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Steam, and the Epic Games Store, and wishlists are already open across all platforms. This simultaneous multi-platform release marks a major shift from Square Enix’s past distribution strategies.
For comparison, Kingdom Hearts III debuted in January 2019 for PS4 and Xbox One, with PC ports arriving much later. While the franchise celebrates its 25th anniversary in March 2027, the “late 2027” target suggests a holiday release or a later window rather than an immediate anniversary drop, finally replacing vague timelines with a clear planning horizon.
During the event, Disney Games Executive Vice President Sean Shoptaw noted that Kingdom Hearts is now one of nine Disney game properties to surpass $1 billion in retail sales, with global shipments exceeding 39 million units.
Kingdom Hearts: The Series Headed to Disney+ and Disney Channel
Confirmed during the showcase, Kingdom Hearts: The Series aims to give audiences “a whole new way to experience the world they love,” according to Disney Kids & Family President Ayo Davis. Working closely with Nomura, the creative team is ensuring the project feels authentically like Kingdom Hearts while offering a fresh experience for both veterans and newcomers.
Details remain scarce, with only a single teaser image released showing a young Keyblade wielder whose design differs noticeably from Sora’s, hinting at either a brand-new protagonist or a redesigned classic character. An animation studio, episode count, and release date have not yet been revealed, with Disney only stating it is “coming soon.”
As industry reports indicate, telling an original story instead of adapting the games directly is a smart move for a franchise known for its dense lore. It frees viewers from having to play over a decade’s worth of games just to understand the plot. Collaborating closely with Square Enix also echoes the successful production models of hit video game adaptations like Netflix’s Arcane and Castlevania.
What’s Next: The 25th Anniversary Deep-Dive Panel
Fans looking for more information can tune into the “Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts” anniversary panel streaming live on Saturday, August 15, at 7:30 PM ET via YouTube. The panel features English voice actors Haley Joel Osment (Sora) and David Gallagher (Riku), alongside Square Enix co-director Tai Yasue, Disney and Pixar Games’ Nana Gadd, and Disney Character Voices executive Renée Johnson, though Square Enix hasn’t confirmed if any further game footage will be shared.
In the meantime, the Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III]—bringing native, non-cloud versions of the back catalog to current platforms—is still scheduled for an October 8, 2026 release on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with save data transferable for players upgrading on the Switch.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Kingdom Hearts IV releasing?
Kingdom Hearts IV is slated for a late 2027 release window. Square Enix has not yet announced a precise launch month or day.
Which Disney worlds are confirmed for Kingdom Hearts IV?
Following the D23 2026 showcase, the Land of the Dead from Pixar’s Coco is the first confirmed Disney world for the game. Quadratum was featured in earlier trailers, though it functions as an original setting rather than a Disney property.
What is Kingdom Hearts: The Series on Disney+?
It is an original animated series heading to Disney+ and Disney Channel, crafted alongside franchise creator Tetsuya Nomura. According to reports, it will tell an all-new story to expand the universe rather than acting as a direct adaptation of the games.
Is this the first time a Kingdom Hearts Disney world features a returning film voice actor?
Yes. Benjamin Bratt announced at D23 that he is returning to voice Ernesto de la Cruz for the Coco world in Kingdom Hearts IV, making him the first original Pixar voice actor confirmed to reprise their role inside the game.