Fans were surprised and delighted when Kingdom Hearts 4 made a surprise appearance at a Nintendo Direct showcase earlier this year. Though the game has been in the works for over four years, updates have been sporadic at best. However, we could be about to finally get some big news about the long-awaited sequel. Disney’s big annual convention, D23, takes place from August 14th to August 16th this year. The lineup has long been confirmed to include a Kingdom Hearts panel, leaving many feeling hopeful. Now, a new update from Disney makes big Kingdom Hearts 4 news during said panel look all the more likely.
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The “Deep Dive Into Kingdom Hearts” panel at D23 will take place on Saturday, August 15th at 7:30 PM ET. Its star-studded lineup has now been confirmed to include several of the franchise’s voice actors, including Sora actor Haley Joel Osment. Ever since rumors of these attendees began circulating, fans have been hoping the panel might do more than just look into the past. But now, Disney has confirmed that the panel will be streamed live via Disney’s YouTube channel. Not only that, but it will be officially co-streamed by The Game Awards. If that doesn’t suggest there’s something big incoming, I don’t know what does.
Square Enix Could Be Gearing Up to Give Us a Kingdom Hearts 4 Release Date At Last
Disney and Square Enix haven’t outright said that the panel will include new intel about Kingdom Hearts 4. And it’s far from the only event during the D23 convention that will be streamed live. However, livestreaming is typically reserved for the bigger panels and showcases. That means that streaming and promoting the Kingdom Hearts panel so heavily could well mean that big news is about to drop. The fact that Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards are getting in on that action adds additional weight to this theory.
Given the panel’s title, many expect it will largely be a retrospective on the franchise. After all, Kingdom Hearts is a weird game that combines existing Square Enix and Disney IP with an original, convoluted storyline. There’s plenty to dig into in a “deep dive” that doesn’t include Kingdom Hearts 4 news. However, the livestream and lineup of big-name guests certainly suggest that we could get new info. And Square Enix has arguably been laying the foundation for that already this year. The game reappeared with a new trailer in June, which also confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 will release for the Nintendo Switch 2.
At this point, we’ve got a decent bit of intel about the game. We’ve seen some teaser gameplay footage and have a general sense of the story. The game’s release platforms have also been confirmed at this point, with a multiplatform launch for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and now Nintendo Switch 2. So, what’s left to announce that could be big enough for The Game Awards to co-stream? Well, I’m almost scared to say it in case it doesn’t happen. But friends, I think we just might be about to get a release date. Or at the very least, a release window.
What could be a better way to wrap up a panel that looks back on the storied history of the franchise? Finally giving fans a date or timeframe to look forward to the next long-awaited installment would be quite an epic wrap-up. And who better to share that news than the voice actor who has brought Sora to life for all these years? It’s giving me goosebumps just speculating about it. While Disney has not confirmed that the panel will include any news on Kingdom Hearts 4, it’s sure looking likely at this point. We’ll find out for sure when the Kingdom Hearts panel streams live on August 15th at 7:30 PM ET.
Forum Conversation: Do You Think We're Getting a Kingdom Hearts 4 Release Date This Week?
Go to ForumI’ll admit, I’ve been largely trying to keep my expectations low for D23. But now that Disney has confirmed its star-studded Kingdom Hearts panel lineup AND The Game Awards confirmed they’re co-streaming it, I think we might actually get a release date for Kingdom Hearts 4. What do you think?