Kingdom Hearts IV: the world of Coco at D23, Goofy playable

Square Enix aired an extended version of its Kingdom Hearts IV trailer during the panel dedicated to D23 2026. It confirms the first Disney world of the game to be shown — that of Coco — and drops a novelty the series had never dared in twenty-four years.

Sora travels through the Land of the Dead alongside Miguel and Hector, his face painted as a calaca as tradition dictates for the series whenever it enters a Disney universe. The art direction stands apart from everything we'd seen of the game so far: a city built in tiers, façades saturated with color, skeletons animated even during combat sequences. The extended trailer mainly broadens the role of Donald, Goofy and King Mickey, with sequences where the player takes direct control of them. Until now, they had only been AI-controlled companions.

What's changed since last time

Previous footage revolved around Quadratum, the contemporary metropolis where Sora wakes up at the start of the game, and its urban bestiary. The move to Unreal Engine 5 stood out there mainly through the city's rendering. Here, it's the staging and readability of the battles that improve, on far more colorful terrain.

Square Enix is sticking with a 2027 release on PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. Tetsuya Nomura also denied the delay rumors circulating ahead of the event. The game will be available in French, with subtitles and interface, alongside English and Japanese voiceovers.