Although Square Enix already has one major game scheduled for 2027, the Japanese company plans to release another one as well, and it intends to stick to that schedule.
This year’s D23 Disney fan event brought exciting news for Kingdom Hearts IV fans. After showing a trailer during June’s Nintendo Direct, Square Enix and Disney revealed another one at last weekend’s event, confirming that the game will be released in 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. However, fans are concerned that the game’s release could slip into 2028, but series director Tetsuya Nomura and game co-director Tai Yasue addressed the situation and reassured fans that they have no reason to worry on that front.
Since Final Fantasy VII Revelation will be the major release for the first half of 2027, launching in the spring, Square Enix will therefore have two major releases next year. As for what new features Kingdom Hearts IV has in store beyond what we’ve already seen, including Mickey, Donald and Goofy appearing as playable characters, Nomura didn’t reveal much during the panel. He did confirm, however, that they had an idea for a unique world that they were unable to realize in the third installment of the series, but which will appear in the fourth game. He was likely referring to a Disney concept or theme that has not yet appeared in a movie, meaning it is subject to fewer creative restrictions.
“At this year’s D23, we’re finally able to announce a release date for Kingdom Hearts IV, and I can confidently say and promise that it will launch in 2027. Development is progressing very smoothly according to schedule. It’s not that the game is 80% or 90% complete… it’s 100%, so we’ll definitely be there.” Yasue said during the Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts panel at this year’s D23.
“We announced that the game will be released in late 2027, and I saw online that some people were saying, ‘Oh, you know, maybe the actual release date could still be delayed.’ I just wanted to set the record straight – that is not going to happen. Imagining something new based solely on a certain concept is very fun and enjoyable. And in some ways, it’s less intimidating because there’s no expectation that something has to be replicated exactly as it is… There was a concept we’ve had since Kingdom Hearts 3, and we worked on the plan, but it was quite difficult to realize. So we developed it further, and it will appear in Kingdom Hearts IV, so please look forward to seeing what kind of world it will be! It’s a pretty amazing world, at least from our perspective, so please look forward to it!” Nomura added.
Regardless of which Disney worlds make it into the game and how the series’ terribly convoluted story continues to evolve, it’s hard not to be excited about Donald and Goofy finally becoming playable characters in Kingdom Hearts IV.
Source: WCCFTech
