D23, Kingdom Hearts IV Really Shows Off: Coco, Playable Mickey, and an Anime for Disney+

The Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts at D23 2026 added several details to what Disney and Square Enix had shown just a day earlier. The extended trailer for Kingdom Hearts IV features new sequences set in the world of Coco, but most importantly, a confirmation that is set to change at least in part the game's structure: Mickey, Donald, and Goofy will be playable characters as they search for information on Sora's disappearance. D23 confirmed this in the official panel recap.

The footage shown in Anaheim lasts about four minutes and expands on the 90-second clip presented during the Disney Entertainment Showcase. A portion is dedicated to Mickey, who ends up inside a world built like a picture book: here he can pass through openings in walls, transform into an airplane, and solve small puzzles. Reuters, present at the event, describes this section as a rather clear departure from the series' traditional structure.

The trailer then returns to Coco, already revealed during the main showcase. Sora reaches the Land of the Dead and meets Miguel and Héctor, while Tetsuya Nomura explained that the choice of the Pixar film is also linked to the possibilities it offers in terms of gameplay. The goal, said the series creator, is to choose Disney properties that can work well with Kingdom Hearts mechanics, and Coco was considered particularly suitable.

Meanwhile, Sora remains stuck in Quadratum, the city introduced at the end of Kingdom Hearts III and partly inspired by Tokyo's Shibuya district. Hades and several historical characters from the saga reappear in the new material, while Maleficent has been teased to have an important role in the next chapter. However, Square Enix has not yet provided details on what she is looking for or how she will enter the new story.

On stage at the panel were Nomura, co-director Tai Yasue, and Nana Gadd from Disney & Pixar Games. They were joined by Haley Joel Osment and David Gallagher, the English voices of Sora and Riku, while Miyu Irino, the Japanese voice of Sora, participated with a recorded message. The panel was part of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of Kingdom Hearts, which will fall in 2027.

The launch window for Kingdom Hearts IV remains set for late 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Disney confirmed both the platforms and the ability to add the game to wishlists now.

D23 also gave space to the other newly emerging project around the series. Kingdom Hearts will become an original anime for Disney Channel and Disney+, developed in collaboration with Tetsuya Nomura and the Square Enix creative team. It will not be a direct adaptation of one of the video games: Disney presents it as a new story intended to expand the saga's universe. A definitive title and release date have not yet been announced.

Ready for a new adventure? 💛 An original Kingdom Hearts anime series inspired by the beloved video game franchise is coming soon to @DisneyChannel and @DisneyPlus pic.twitter.com/ZJMl3LS4yr

— Disney (@Disney) August 15, 2026

Disney also reminded attendees of the arrival of Kingdom Hearts Collection on October 8, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, while Kingdom Hearts IV can already be added to wishlists.