It’s been four whole years since Kingdom Hearts IV was announced for the series’ 20th anniversary. Square Enix fans were distraught after the game provided no updates, not even Disney Interactive hinting at its later development stage. Now, the official fourth installment in the mainline series appears in the June 2026 Nintendo Direct. More characters, more gameplay, and more clues are revealed for Sora’s adventure.
This article contains spoilers in the Kingdom Hearts series.
A Short Recap from Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind
Sora has been separated from King Mickey’s companions, Donald Duck and Goofy, since defeating Xehanort in Kingdom Hearts 3. He attempted to save Kairi with the Power of Awakening in the Re:Mind expansion. The cat-like Dream Eater Chirinthy convinced Sora to travel back in time to collect his friends’ hearts to revive her.
He does succeed in fulfilling his desire, but their reunion did not last for very long. His time-travel attempts resulted in his existence disappearing. Kairi soon became comatose after he could no longer exist in the original timeline. Sora’s best friend, Riku, then goes on a year-long investigation to find Sora.
He, Aqua, Ventus, and Terra explored the Realm of Darkness. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy tried to trace his whereabouts from the worlds they visited. And in Hollow Bastion, Cid tried to use Organization XIII’s data versions to locate him.
When all hope was thought to be lost, the Fairy Godmother told Riku that Yen Sid had summoned him. After arriving at the Mysterious Tower, the sorcerer believed that once again, if he could dive into Sora’s heart as before, he could reach him by dreaming. This is confirmed by the events of Dream Drop Distance, where Riku had to dream dive and rescue Sora’s heart from Organization XIII’s clutches.
Yen Sid’s theory turns out to be true, for Sora is trapped in the city of Quadratum, or the Final World. He fought someone named Yozora, who first appeared in Verum Rex, the video game found in the Toy Story world. His only known mission is that he’s trying to save the real Sora, which confuses the hero about himself. He fails, scatters himself around Quadratum, and wakes up in a car where someone calls him Commander. The end of Re:Mind leads players to the Kingdom Hearts IV 2022 trailer.
The Changes in Kingdom Hearts IV Switch 2 Trailer
Kingdom Hearts IV has drastically changed since its 2022 preview. The most notable change is the lack of the series’ command menu and player HUD. The Switch 2 trailer featured Sora attacking Darkside and the Neoshadows without a menu prompt on screen. He could execute combos and special moves freely.
The same can be said when the player uses Free Flow, the acrobatic movement system from Dream Drop Distance. The character designs for the game are going for a more Square Enix appearance than the traditional blend of anime and Disney. Darkside, for example, is a demonic beast compared to his toony ominous shadow. Disney characters, such as Donald and Goofy, will maintain the original Kingdom Hearts style.
Some fans have even taken note of how much the series’ creator, Tetsuya Nomura, is putting all of Kingdom Hearts IV’s focus on Quadratum. No other world has been presented aside from the Realm of Darkness. It’s very fitting as players really want Kingdom Hearts to close its book sooner rather than be delayed with more spinoffs, like Kingdom Hearts 3. If it holds, Quadratum will be the only playable world.
Who’s Looking Out for Sora?
Both Kingdom Hearts IV trailers have established some returning faces and a few new ones. Aside from Donald and Goofy, we have Strelitzia, a Keyblade wielder and the fifth leader of the Dandelions from the animated special, Union χ (aka Union Key). Considering Quadratum is a fictional reality, Sora could be interacting with her data or dream self.
The masked face Keyblade wielder is believed to be Vali from the mobile game, Kingdom Hearts: Dark Road. X user @Key-Cast has dedicated a side-by-side comparison to confirm his speculation. The character details are convincing enough. He shared this hypothesis, “Could the other upper class have ended up here too since Quadratum is considered the afterlife???”
One of the Nobodies of Organization XIII is spotted in the Switch 2 trailer as well. Taking on his new form is Luxord the Gambler. It’s no surprise that he would make an appearance in Kingdom Hearts IV after encountering Sora’s heart in Dream Drop Distance. He looks really snazzy in his suit and tie. Young Xehanort joins him as he offers Sora an umbrella in the rain.
Last but not least is the hooded person at the beginning of the trailer. This one is not as easy to identify as the characters before and after Organization XIII was founded wore black jackets to conceal their identities. Two possibilities are the original Keyblade master, the Master of Masters, and his apprentice, Luxu. Neither has made their appearances known. The mysterious violet jacket man with Strelitzia is also a mystery.
