The wait for a single scrap of Kingdom Hearts 4 news has been excruciating for fans, with only two brief trailers since its announcement in April 2022 — until the game’s big re-reveal during a Nintendo Direct back in June.
Now it seems like Square Enix might finally be spinning up the wheel for Kingdom Hearts 4.
Although it wasn’t given much fanfare on official channels, when the schedule went live for D23, Disney’s annual convention, fans were quick to notice a particular Kingdom Hearts panel. And now, eagle-eyed fans, as reported by Kingdom Hearts Insider, have also discovered profiles for three major guests that will likely be taking part in the panel — series co-director Tai Yasue, Sora voice actor Haley Joel Osment, and Riku voice actor David Gallagher.
While the three profiles were live in the D23 app, they’ve since been removed, likely because these guests weren’t supposed to be known beforehand. Yasue has been the co-director of the franchise since the release of Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories on PlayStation 2, working alongside series director and creator Tetsuya Nomura. Of course, Osment and Gallagher have been with the franchise for decades as well, and there are almost zero interviews or events to date that have featured the two actors together.
The “DEEP DIVE into KINGDOM HEARTS” panel is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 430pm PT. However, there have been no announced plans to stream the event, meaning only those in attendance at D23 will be able to watch. The official description for the panel reads, “Join us for a journey through light and darkness as we commemorate 25 years of KINGDOM HEARTS. Discover how this saga united Disney, Pixar, and Square Enix, with insights from the creative minds, character voices, and more behind the magic.”
Kingdom Hearts 4 marks the beginning of a brand-new story for the series, known as the Lost Masters Arc. Although no Disney worlds have been announced as of yet, it’s been heavily rumoured that the game will feature Star Wars.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently in development and doesn’t have a release date or window.
