Keyblade warriors, this is not a drill. Disney and Square Enix presented the new <a href="https://comicvibe.com/kingdom-hearts-4-fans-are-well-fed-after-2-days-of-great-trailers/" title="Kingdom Hearts 4 Fans Are Well Fed After 2 Days of Great Trailers”>Kingdom Hearts IV trailer set in the Cocoworld and upcoming anime at D23 2026, with new details unveiled at the Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts panel.
Kicking off the Disney D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event with a bang, fans were presented with a new Kingdom Hearts IVtrailer, showcasing the Land of the Dead in the world of Coco, a new look at Sora and his friends, and a late 2027 release date. Alongside the new trailer, a new Disney Channel and Disney+ anime titled Kingdom Hearts(working title) has been announced to be in development. Expanding on the announcements, the Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts was streamed on YouTube on August 15, providing more details about the upcoming title.
Hosted by Khelo Thomas (Known for Holes), the Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts panel is joined by Nana Gadd (Disney & Pixar Games), Tai Yasue (Co-Director of the series), Haley Joel Osment (voice actor of Sora), David Gallagher (voice actor of Riku), Renee Johnson (Disney Voice Director), and, of course, making a surprise appearance, Tetsuya Nomura (Co-Director of the series).
The new Kingdom Hearts IV trailer highlights the world of Coco, with Héctor explaining to Miguel what happens when the dead are forgotten in the living world. As Miguel performs Un Poco Loco on stage, Sora retains his realistic design while taking on a painted skeleton appearance as he fights the Heartless to protect the audience. Working alongside Miguel and Héctor, Sora explores the colourful Land of the Dead, unlocks a new Coco-themed Keyblade, battles a new enemy while sliding along the railway and uses a new Team Attack with Héctor.
Meanwhile, in Sora’s original world, King Mickey is in a library learning new information as he tries to bring Sora back. Donald Duck and Goofy search the Underworld, but are shocked when Hades, voiced again by James Woods, reveals that Sora is not there. The trailer ends with Sora briefly seeing Donald and Goofy in what appears to be a spiritual or digital form in Quadratum before shifting to a battle featuring Sora, Strelitzia and Sigurd against the Heartless and Darksides. The trailer concludes by revealing that Kingdom Hearts IV is scheduled to launch in late 2027.
During the Kingdom Hearts Deep Dive, we were shown the full four-minute trailer for Kingdom Hearts IV. The new details revealed include Sora living in Quadratum while rescuing civilians, Sora battling new Coco-themed enemies in the Land of the Dead, Mickey Mouse receiving a playable puzzle-focused section and Donald and Goofy exploring the Underworld, fighting the Heartless and entering the Land of the Dead in search of Sora. As the trailer shifts back to Quadratum, Luxu, also known as Xigbar, meets with a young Xehanort once again. Riku then arrives near the end and rescues Sora, Strelitzia and Sigurd from the Darksides.
Following the new four-minute trailer, Tai Yasue and Tetsuya Nomura shared more details about several sections of Kingdom Hearts IV. One of the first details revealed was how Miguel and Héctor will assist Sora in battle. Miguel will fight the Heartless using his guitar and singing voice, while Héctor will use his skeletal arm as both a bow and arrow and a nunchuck. Mickey Mouse will also have a larger role and a dedicated playable section. During this sequence, we see him explore a paper-world book and create origami copies of himself to solve different types of puzzles. Lastly, it was revealed that Maleficent will play a major role in the upcoming game.
Also, to ease many Kingdom Heartsfans’ fears of delay, Tai Yasue confirmed Kingdom Hearts IVwill 100% launch in late 2027, and as he said, “It’s not an 80% or 90% thing, it’s a 100% thing”
Ready for a new adventure? 💛 An original Kingdom Hearts anime series inspired by the beloved video game franchise is coming soon to @DisneyChannel and @DisneyPluspic.twitter.com/ZJMl3LS4yr
— Disney (@Disney) August 15, 2026
Before wrapping up, D23 also announced a Kingdom Hearts anime for Disney Channel and Disney+, currently titled Kingdom Hearts as a working title. Based on what has been revealed so far, Tetsuya Nomura and Square Enix are developing the series, which will tell a brand-new story set within the Kingdom Hearts universe.
For many Kingdom Hearts fans, myself included, the D23 and Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts panel offered plenty of new details about Kingdom Hearts IV and the upcoming anime. Hopefully, we will learn more about which Disney and Pixar worlds will appear in the game, whether Final Fantasy characters will be involved and what editions will be available.
