Four years is a long time to wait for a follow-up. The last time anyone got a proper look at Kingdom Hearts IV was back in 2022, when Square Enix teased the game at the franchise's 20th anniversary event. Since then, fans had been surviving on a handful of screenshots and radio silence. That changed today at the June 2026 Nintendo Direct, where a new gameplay trailer for Kingdom Hearts IV dropped as one of the show's final reveals.
Pay less for your games.
Get discounts up to 80% off
What the new trailer actually shows
The 2022 reveal was essentially a cinematic tease. Sora fighting a skyscraper-sized Heartless in a city that looked nothing like the Disney worlds fans know, with almost no sense of how the game would actually play.
This new trailer is different. It puts combat front and center, showing Sora taking on Heartless enemies in the streets of a modern-day Tokyo-inspired city. There's a massive boss encounter involving an enemy attacking a building, and smaller skirmishes at street level that give a clearer look at the moment-to-moment action combat the series is known for. The setting is Quadratum, the mysterious city introduced in Kingdom Hearts III's ending, and it looks far more grounded and realistic than anything in the series' history.
Square Enix describes the game as "a new installment in the action RPG games series" where Sora journeys through Quadratum, meeting new figures and unlocking new powers. Donald Duck and Goofy are confirmed to be back alongside him.
No release date, but a confirmed platform lineup
Here's the thing: as exciting as today's showing was, Square Enix still hasn't committed to a release window. The trailer confirmed platforms, showed gameplay, and left it at that. "More details about the game will be revealed in the future" is the official line.
The confirmed platform list is:
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X/S
- Nintendo Switch 2
- PC (Epic Games Store and Steam)
All platforms will receive the game simultaneously at launch, which is a notable commitment for a series that historically had PlayStation-first or PlayStation-exclusive releases.
The Kingdom Hearts Collection lands first
Before Kingdom Hearts IV arrives, Square Enix is giving fans a way to catch up. The Nintendo Direct also revealed the Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III], a native (non-cloud) bundle launching October 8, 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
The collection bundles together:
- Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX (includes six games and HD cutscene compilations)
- Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (includes Dream Drop Distance HD, the χ Back Cover movie, and 0.2 Birth By Sleep)
- Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind (DLC)
Each bundle is also available to purchase separately in digital form. The full collection is available in both physical and digital editions.
Sora battles Heartless in Quadratum
Platform-exclusive Keyblades are included as purchase bonuses:
Digital pre-orders on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S also unlock 48-hour early access. Players who already own the Cloud versions on Nintendo Switch or the PS4/Xbox One editions are eligible for a 50% discount on digital purchases of the new versions.
A free demo for Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind on Nintendo Switch 2 went live today. It covers two sections: the opening through the early stages of the Olympus world (save data carries over to the full game), and a portion of the Toy Box world (save data does not carry over).
Why this Nintendo Direct appearance matters
Kingdom Hearts IV showing up at a Nintendo Direct at all is worth pausing on. The series has deep PlayStation roots, and the Switch 2 confirmation as a day-one platform signals that Square Enix is treating this as a true multi-platform release from the start, not an afterthought port.
The series has shipped over 39 million units worldwide and is approaching its 25th anniversary in 2027. Square Enix even revealed a special 25th anniversary logo alongside today's announcements, suggesting the anniversary year will be significant for the franchise.
The collection launching in October gives fans a clear on-ramp before Kingdom Hearts IV arrives, and the native ports replacing the previous Cloud versions on Switch hardware is a meaningful quality-of-life upgrade for Nintendo players.
For everything coming in Kingdom Hearts IV and the collection, the Kingdom Hearts IV strategy guides will be the place to track new information as Square Enix continues to reveal details ahead of launch.
