Disney Greenlights Kingdom Hearts Anime, Reveals Kingdom Hearts IV Trailer at D23

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Aug. 15, 2026 — Disney and Square Enix confirmed a new anime series set in the Kingdom Hearts universe during D23 on Friday, alongside a Kingdom Hearts IV trailer confirming a late 2027 release window for the long-anticipated game.

TL;DR

• Disney and Square Enix confirmed an original Kingdom Hearts anime for Disney Channel and Disney+ during the D23 Entertainment Showcase on Aug. 14.
• Series creator Tetsuya Nomura is directly involved in the anime, but no title, release date or plot details have been confirmed.
• Kingdom Hearts IV got an extended trailer built around a world inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Coco, with a late 2027 launch window.
• UK fans will need a Disney+ subscription, starting at £5.99 a month, to eventually stream the anime.

The anime marks Kingdom Hearts’ first expansion beyond video games in its 25-year history, a strategic bet by Disney to grow the franchise’s audience ahead of its 25th-anniversary celebrations in 2027. It also raises the stakes for a story already notorious among gamers for its dense, multi-timeline mythology.

“Please let your imagination run wild,” said Tetsuya Nomura, the Kingdom Hearts creator and director, in a message posted to the franchise’s official social media account after the panel.

What Disney Announced at D23

Disney announced an original anime series set in the Kingdom Hearts universe during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at the Honda Center on Aug. 14. The untitled project will air on Disney Channel and stream on Disney+, developed with series creator Tetsuya Nomura and the Square Enix creative team.

The series will not simply retell Sora’s story from the games. Disney says it is an original narrative that expands the franchise’s mythology instead.

Kingdom Hearts IV Gets a Coco World

The Anaheim crowd also saw an extended trailer for Kingdom Hearts IV, confirming a world inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Coco. Sora appears in the Land of the Dead wearing Día de los Muertos face paint, according to the footage shown at the event.

Square Enix confirmed Kingdom Hearts IV will launch in late 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2. The company also confirmed players will be able to control Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy in parts of the game.

Why the Anime Matters

Kingdom Hearts has told one continuous story across more than 10 games since 2002, a saga fans and critics alike have called one of gaming’s most tangled narratives. An anime adaptation gives Disney a new format to untangle that lore for viewers who have never touched a controller.

The move also lines up with Kingdom Hearts’ 25th-anniversary push in 2027. Disney has already confirmed a remastered collection of the first three mainline games for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, arriving Oct. 8, 2026.

Nomura’s Cryptic Clue for Fans

Nomura followed the announcement with a message to fans, saying new character designs already exist for the series but declining to share specifics. He pointed instead to the project’s first key art, hinting that a clue is hidden inside the image.

What It Means for UK Fans

UK viewers will need a Disney+ subscription to watch the new anime once it airs, alongside any simulcast on the Disney Channel UK feed. Disney+ currently charges £9.99 a month for its ad-free Standard tier in Britain, £14.99 for Premium, or £5.99 for the cheaper ad-supported option.

What Comes Next

Disney has not set a release date for the Kingdom Hearts anime and has not announced a formal title beyond the working name Kingdom Hearts. The remastered Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] arrives Oct. 8, 2026, with Kingdom Hearts IV following in late 2027. This article was human-curated and verified for accuracy by Elena Vane after an initial AI-assisted draft.