The Kingdom Hearts 4 release window, which was tentatively set for late 2027, has sparked skepticism among fans, but co-director Tetsuya Nomura has stated that the date is firm and will not be pushed back. "We announced that the game is going to be coming late 2027, and I saw online that some people were saying, 'Oh, you know, maybe the actual release date might still get pushed back,'" Nomura said through a translator at the D23 expo, according to VGC. "I just wanted to set the record straight: That is not happening."
The action-RPG was revealed during the franchise's 20th anniversary in 2022, with an initial announcement that placed it on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. A subsequent announcement in June confirmed the game's release for the Switch 2. This long gap since the last mainline installment, over seven years, has contributed to fan apprehension regarding release dates.
The D23 expo also provided further details about the game's content, notably confirming that the world of Disney's Coco will play a significant role. Sora is shown in the new trailer fighting alongside Hector, and it was also revealed that Donald and Goofy will be playable characters for the first time in the series' history. Kingdom Hearts is a significant franchise for Disney, being one of nine gaming properties to have generated over $1 billion in revenue.