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Kingdom Hearts 4 Gets Late 2027 Release Window and Playable Disney Characters
TL;DR
Kingdom Hearts 4 is coming out late 2027, and its latest D23 2026, Disney revealed a much bigger role for Disney characters outside Sora’s usual party setup. A new four-minute trailer showed the confirmed Coco world, playable sections for King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, and more of the game’s story after Kingdom Hearts 3. Disney and Square Enix previewed the new footage during D23 in Anaheim, giving gamers the clearest look yet at how the sequel is expanding its gameplay.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Is Planned for Late 2027
Square Enix has moved Kingdom Hearts 4 from an open-ended development window to a late 2027 target. An exact release date has not been announced.
The sequel is planned for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Nintendo had already confirmed the Switch 2 version in June 2026, when a gameplay trailer showed Sora fighting in Quadratum.
Late 2027 gives the game a more concrete target after years of limited updates following its original 2022 reveal.
Coco Is the First Confirmed Disney World
Pixar’s Coco is the first Disney world officially confirmed for Kingdom Hearts 4. The D23 footage showed Sora inside the Land of the Dead, with the colorful setting adapted into the series’ action RPG style.
Series creator Tetsuya Nomura said the team selected Coco because it offered strong possibilities for gameplay. The D23 presentation also confirmed Maleficent will return and play a significant role in the sequel.
Mickey, Donald, and Goofy Get Playable Sections
The extended trailer showed gameplay built around characters who normally support Sora rather than replace him.
- King Mickey explores a storybook-style world with paper-based mechanics.
- Donald appears in playable combat sequences instead of only acting as a party member.
- Goofy also gets playable combat and traversal moments.
Mickey’s sections appear especially different from Sora’s normal combat. The Paper Mickey Mouse world lets players move through cracks, transform into an airplane, and solve puzzles while exploring a storybook setting.
Quadratum Still Sits at the Center of Sora’s Story
Kingdom Hearts 4 continues Sora’s story in Quadratum, the realistic city introduced after the events of Kingdom Hearts 3. Square Enix describes the series as an action RPG collaboration with Disney, with Sora traveling alongside Donald and Goofy across Disney worlds while fighting the Heartless.
Square Enix’s official series overview identifies Sora as the Keyblade-wielding protagonist, Donald as the royal court magician, Goofy as captain of the royal knights, and Mickey as a Keyblade Master.
The D23 Reveal Adds More Than a Release Window
The late 2027 target is the biggest scheduling update, but the playable Disney characters may be the more important gameplay change. Kingdom Hearts has traditionally kept Sora at the center of most combat, with Donald and Goofy supporting him as party members.
Giving Mickey, Donald, and Goofy their own playable moments suggests Kingdom Hearts 4 will vary its gameplay more often instead of relying only on Sora’s combat and world exploration. More details are still needed before anyone can judge how large those sections will be.
