Kingdom Hearts 4 made a surprise appearance at the June 2026 Nintendo Direct to reveal a first look at gameplay.
Just as the presentation was starting to wind down, Sora showed up to show patient fans what it will be like to wield the Keyblade once more. Additionally, Nintendo and Square Enix confirmed that it will be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 when it launches…eventually.
In a separate post, Square Enix confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 will also launch simultaneously for PC via Epic Games Store and Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S, as well as Switch 2. You can see Sora, Donald, and Goofy make their surprise grand entrance at today’s show below.
“A new installment in the action role-playing series developed and published by Square Enix, KINGDOM HEARTS 4 gives fans a look at some of the characters that protagonist Sora will meet in the mysterious city of Quadratum,” an official description for the game said. “Sora will once again journey to realms, where new figures cross his path and new powers awaken his next chapter. KINGDOM HEARTS 4 will be available at launch on Nintendo Switch 2.”
Kingdom Hearts 4 might be one of the last games anyone expected to see show up in today’s Nintendo Direct for June 2026. That didn’t stop Nintendo from not only bringing it in as one of its last reveals, but showing off more of the series’ long-awaited fourth mainline installment than we’ve seen in years.
Square Enix first revealed Kingdom Hearts 4 at the franchise’s 20th anniversary event all the way back in 2022. At the time, a very on-rails gameplay segment showed Sora battling a skyscraper-sized Heartless in a city that shared little in common with most of the dreamlike world Disney is known for. There have been next to no announcements since.
That, of course, ended today, with the Nintendo Direct gameplay showcase. Although it was simply a continuation of the events teased all the way back in 2022, this seemed to be a much closer look at the moment-to-moment combat players can expect from the next chapter of Sora’s journey.
In other Kingdom Hearts news, Square Enix began this last segment of the show with the announcement that all three games in the series will soon be available as part of the Kingdom Hearts Collection. Set with a release date of October 8, 2026, the bundle includes Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX, HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, 3 + Re Mind, with each available to purchase separately, too. A demo for Kingdom Hearts 3 is also available on the eShop now.
There’s no doubt that today’s Kingdom Hearts 4 gameplay reveal is the most we’ve seen from the game in years, but unfortunately, there is still no release date or even window. Until there’s more to share, you can see everything announced at the Nintendo Direct June 2026 here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
