Square Enix dropped its biggest Kingdom Hearts news in four years at D23 in Anaheim overnight: Kingdom Hearts 4 has a late 2027 release window, its first confirmed Disney world is Pixar’s Coco, and a brand new Kingdom Hearts anime series is heading to Disney+ and Disney Channel. Following this morning’s Kingdom Hearts 25th anniversary deep-dive preview, here is everything revealed at the Disney Entertainment Showcase.
Sora Steps Into the Land of the Dead
The Land of the Dead is Kingdom Hearts 4’s first confirmed Disney world, and in a notable first for the franchise, the trailer establishes that this world follows the plot of the 2017 Pixar film rather than telling a separate side story. Papa Hector opens the sequence by explaining the concept of The Final Death to Miguel: those forgotten by the living eventually fade from existence entirely in the afterlife. Miguel is then shown performing for a crowd as Heartless materialise around him, and Sora arrives to deal with them.
Sora appears dressed in Día de los Muertos face paint and Coco-appropriate clothing, blending naturally into the world’s visual language. The Land of the Dead is rendered in vivid, layered detail — the city’s tiered architecture lit up in gold and violet across the cable car sequences — making it one of the most visually striking worlds the series has ever shown.
The Guitar Keyblade and a Fight Alongside Papa Hector
Each world in Kingdom Hearts hands Sora a Keyblade that reflects its aesthetic. The Coco world’s version takes the form of a guitar decorated with sugar skull motifs, marigold flowers and warm-toned light — immediately one of the most striking Keyblade designs in the series’ history. The trailer shows Sora fighting alongside Papa Hector, confirming the skeleton musician as a party ally.
The trailer also shows Strelitzia and Sigurd — characters from the mobile game Kingdom Hearts Union χ — appearing in Quadratum alongside Sora. Their presence is a clear signal that the Union χ storyline threads are being woven into the main game, which will matter enormously to fans who stuck with that game through its ending.
Mickey, Donald and Goofy Are Searching — Through Hades
On the other side of the story, King Mickey, Donald Duck and Goofy are shown visiting what appears to be the underworld from Hercules. Dialogue from Hades confirms they have consulted him to track Sora’s location in Quadratum. Donald and Goofy appear as glowing outlines from Sora’s perspective, suggesting the two sides of the story connect across dimensions rather than crossing over directly — a neat way to reintroduce the classic trio without pulling Sora out of Quadratum.
Taken together, the trailer does a great deal in under 90 seconds: new world, Coco-specific Keyblade, returning friends, and enough Union χ fan service to reward players who completed the mobile game’s storyline.
Kingdom Hearts: The Series — On Disney+ Singapore
Beyond the game, Disney announced Kingdom Hearts: The Series — an original anime following a new character (not Sora) set within the Kingdom Hearts universe. It will air on Disney Channel and stream on Disney+, meaning Disney+ Singapore subscribers will have access once it launches. No specific date was given, with the announcement card simply reading “Coming Soon.”
Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids & Family, stated the project is designed to “expand on the universe of Kingdom Hearts while celebrating the characters that have captured the hearts of millions of fans.” Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura is confirmed to be working closely with the creative team at Square Enix on the production.
Late 2027 on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X and PC
Kingdom Hearts 4 is confirmed for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store — all platforms simultaneously, with a “late 2027” window. For Switch 2 owners in Singapore, that simultaneous release is the key detail: there is no longer any ambiguity about a Switch version. As we covered earlier today, the franchise recently crossed the one-billion-dollar revenue milestone, giving Square Enix considerable commercial momentum going into this launch.
No specific date or price has been announced. Follow our Game News section for any further Kingdom Hearts updates from D23 or Gamescom later this month.