A Long Wait, Even by Kingdom Hearts Standards
Kingdom Hearts III launched in January 2019, closing out the long-running Dark Seeker Saga. Kingdom Hearts IV was announced in April 2022 during the franchise's 20th-anniversary celebration, introducing the Quadratum setting and confirming the start of a new arc. Then came years of near silence — Square Enix's first substantial new look at the game didn't arrive until screenshots in May 2025. D23 2026 finally delivered a release window, a confirmed Disney world, and a much fuller look at what the game actually is. If KH4 lands in late 2027 as planned, that's roughly eight and a half years between numbered entries — and unlike KH3, which closed out a story fans had followed for over a decade, KH4 is opening an entirely new one. Kingdom Hearts IV isn't mysterious anymore because nobody knew if it was coming. Now Square Enix has to prove the wait produced something worth it.
