Kingdom Hearts 4 is officially on the way, and we at long last know we can expect it to land in 2027.
After another stretch of radio silence on the project, Kingdom Hearts 4 made a major appearance during the Disney Entertainment Showcase, D23. It was here that the 2027 launch window was confirmed, with a trailer dropping that gave us a substantial look at the upcoming Kingdom Hearts, which featured some gameplay and Pixar's Coco, which will set the scene for a part of the adventure. Better yet, thanks to the trailer, we also now know that we'll be able to actually play as the likes of Donald Duck and Goofy in the long-awaited new game.
First officially announced during the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary event back in 2022, the upcoming RPG made a welcome appearance during the Nintendo Direct June 2026 showcase, which confirmed the platforms it will releasing on. While we're still awaiting some more concrete story details, you can find a full breakdown of everything we know so far about Kingdom Hearts 4 below if you're keen to learn more about Sora's return.
Kingdom Hearts 4 release date speculation
Square Enix has confirmed Kingdom Hearts 4 will release in "late 2027".
This launch year window came during D23 in August 2026 after years of radio silence on the release date of the new Kingdom Hearts game. While we still don't have a concrete release date, it's great to finally have a rough launch window to work with.
The game was initially said to be in early development back in 2022, and it had been quiet on the update front following the announcement for a long stretch - even Goofy's English voice actor didn't realize it had even been announced that same year. But the publisher confirmed work was still underway on Kingdom Hearts 4 in May 2025 in a statement that accompanied the news that mobile game Missing Link has been cancelled.
Some months later in September 2025, Tetsuya Nomura said Kingdom Hearts 4 is "progressing well." Even so, we've yet to get an indication of when KH4 will arrive. Nomura also said it's on schedule, but we still don't yet know when it's expected to arrive.
Kingdom Hearts 4 platforms
Good news, everyone! As of 2026, we now know that Kingdom Hearts 4 will be coming to the Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store) once it releases.
Square Enix shared this news after the June 2026 Nintendo Direct, and honestly, it's great to see that the game will be available to all gamers no matter their console of choice. Hopefully, they will stick with this multiplatform strategy. We'll keep you posted if anything changes, though.
Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer
We got our first official look at the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer in April 2022, as Square Enix celebrated the series' 20th anniversary. However, more excitingly, we got another trailer during the June 2026 Nintendo Direct, which you can watch for yourself above.
In the teaser, we see a photorealistic style that features appearances from Sora, Strelitzia, a Darkside Heartless, a brief appearance from Donald and Goofy, and a little gameplay in the world of Quadratum. Hopefully, we get more trailers soon, as well as a release window.
Kingdom Hearts 4 story
Back in 2022, it was said that Kingdom Hearts 4 would see an "epic new storyline". But trying to predict exactly what direction the Kingdom Hearts 4 story will go in isn't easy by any means - nobody knows what director Tetsuya Nomura has planned next. What we do know is that this will be the first chapter of 'The Lost Master Arc', which succeeds 'The Dark Seeker Saga' – that's the saga we played through in the previous games.
We also know that some of Kingdom Hearts 4's story takes place in Quadratum, a world made up of neither light or dark that might take place outside of the realm of reality and resembles Shibuya in the real life Tokyo. What this means for Donald and Goofy is yet to be revealed.
As fans of the series will no doubt know, droplets of canon lore can also come from the most unexpected of places when it comes to Kingdom Hearts 4, and Tetsuya Nomura shared some curious fruit lore on the first game's anniversary that's pretty baffling - whether it'll be connected to the next entry's story is a big question mark, but it certainly gave fans some food for thought.
Thankfully, Nomura also acknowledged that Kingdom Hearts 4 will be something of a "reset" to keep new players from getting confused, so it'll be interesting to see how approachable the upcoming installment is.
Looking to catch up on the series to prepare for Kingdom Hearts 4? Take a look at our breakdown of how to play the Kingdom Hearts games in order. Or if you need a quick recap ahead of the new game, you can check out our article explaining the Kingdom Hearts 3 ending.
Kingdom Hearts 4 gameplay
During D23, a trailer dropped which gave us a hearty look at some Kingdom Hearts 4 gameplay in action. Confirming we'll be venturing to the world of Pixar's CoCo as part of the upcoming adventure, the trailer also revealed we'll be able to play as both Donald and Goofy for the first time.
We also get a look at controlling Mickey, who's said to be searching for clues to find a missing Sora (how curious). The creative levels show Mickey pulling up a pintack with a keyblade to open up a bridge, transforming into a classic 2D silhouette for some side-scrolling platforming, and turning into a big, paper origami-like figure to smash through some obstacles.
Back in 2025, we saw a brief glimpse at some gameplay in a series of screenshots, where it was revealed that a variation of the Flowmotion mechanic will be returning, as well as the usual abilities like magic and the Sora's signature keyblade.
It also looks like Sora will also use the keyblade's keychain as a grappling hook to get him closer to enemies and, like in Kingdom Hearts 3, traverse up the side of buildings.
We got another look at the grappling-hook-like movement in a screenshot Square Enix dropped on BlueSky (as seen above), which shows Sora balancing on chains to catapult through the air. The signature command inputs in the bottom left corner of the screen can also be seen, which show we can attack, use magic, and access items. Curiously, there's also a "build" option, which may link to how we can use the grappling-hook-like feature, or point towards something else we'll be able to do.
All signs point to more of the Kingdom Hearts gameplay we know and love, with upgrades and some creative twists. For a refresher on how the previous entry plays, check out our Kingdom Hearts 3 review.
Kingdom Hearts 4 worlds
In terms of Kingdom Hearts 4 worlds, all we know for sure so far is that Quadratum is one of them. Speaking with Game Informer, Tetsuya Nomura has confirmed that Quadratum is the "initial base within the game" and that we will "spend time there and then go to different worlds and then go back there." He also confirmed that "there will be Disney worlds in Kingdom Hearts 4", but is yet to share any details.
All we can do is speculate at this point, but there are some theories about what Disney-themed worlds might be making an appearance – a few eagle-eyed fans have spotted potential references to a Star Wars-themed world in Kingdom Hearts 4.
Using geo-location, some folks have even worked out that the latest screenshot of Sora in combat appears to be set on a street in Tokyo - which may indicate the game will take place in real-world locations.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Sora
Although he may look slightly different from his previous appearances, there will be a Kingdom Hearts 4 Sora. The spikey-haired guardian of light is a main staple of the Kingdom Hearts series and has appeared in almost all 13 of the games.
This time around, Sora will sport a much more realistic look. As we can see from the reveal trailer, his hair is a little less tall and his clown shoes have been swapped for a pair that actually fit him. Don't panic though, he's still going to wield the signature Kingdom Key keyblade.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Strelitzia
Kingdom Hearts 4's Strelitzia appeared alongside Sora in the initial reveal trailer. This mysterious girl was thought to be a newcomer to the series, however, those who played Kingdom Hearts Union X know exactly who she is. So, who is Strelitzia in Kingdom Hearts 4?
We won't spoil anything in case you do go back and play the full series, but let's just say that Strelitzia is a keyblade wielder whose story takes place years before Sora, Donald, and Goofy get together. How she ended up with Sora will hopefully be revealed in the upcoming game.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Final Fantasy
A big question is will Kingdom Hearts 4 have Final Fantasy characters? If you've already played through Kingdom Hearts 3, you would have noticed the distinct lack of Final Fantasy characters. The first two games in the series feature cameos from Cloud Strife, Sephiroth, Squall 'Leon' Leonheart, Aerith Gainsborough, Yuffie Kisaragi, Cid Highwind, and more.
As to whether we'll see any of these characters again, Tetsuya Nomura has said that the future of Final Fantasy characters in Kingdom Hearts is currently uncertain.
Check out some of the best JRPGs to play while you wait for Kingdom Hearts 4.
