Tetsuya Nomura Teases Involvement in Kingdom Hearts Anime Series, Tells Fans to Let Their 'Imagination Run Wild' | D23 2026

Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura has 1 connection for fans erstwhile it comes to its mysterious caller Disney+ anime series: "Please fto your imaginativeness tally wild."

The Square Enix and Final Fantasy seasoned shared a connection with excited fans connected X/Twitter aft the crossover bid made a astonishment quality astatine past night's D23 2026 Disney Entertainment Showcase. Its beingness came not lone with a archetypal look astatine however the adjacent mainline installment successful the franchise volition incorporated the satellite of Pixar's Coco but besides a teaser for a caller Kingdom Hearts bid coming to Disney+.

Unfortunately, the large uncover shared small astir however the anime task volition really acceptable into Kingdom Hearts' infamously tangled timeline. For now, each fans person to spell disconnected of are a fewer words from Disney Kids & Family president Ayo Davis and immoderate ethereal creation featuring what appears to beryllium a caller Keyblade-wielding character. Where Nomura could person intervened to wide the air, helium alternatively chose to promote speculation from those who are nary uncertainty already spinning theories.

First Teaser Image for Kingdom Hearts The Series connected Disney+. Image courtesy of Disney.

"Production of a Kingdom Hearts animated bid has been confirmed," Nomura's connection said (via Google Translate). "I ideate this abrupt announcement came arsenic a surprise. You are apt wondering what the bid volition beryllium about. While I cannot stock circumstantial details conscionable yet, I person been holding adjacent consultations with the script team—and the creation team, erstwhile necessary—and we person adjacent created caller quality designs specifically for this project.

"I cannot accidental thing much astatine this moment, but the azygous portion of cardinal creation released serves arsenic a hint. Please fto your imaginativeness tally chaotic arsenic you await further updates."

Filling agelong waits with theories is thing Kingdom Hearts fans are particularly skilled at. Outside of the unusual spinoff project, the franchise has seen agelong gaps betwixt releases. Kingdom Hearts 3, for example, launched a brutal 14 years aft Kingdom Hearts 2. By the clip Kingdom Hearts 4 reaches its precocious announced 2027 merchandise window, it volition person been astir 8 years since the past numbered introduction – and that's if determination are nary delays.

The Kingdom Hearts anime series, however, doesn't really person a merchandise day – oregon adjacent a model – for fans to people connected their calendars. The creation lone tells viewers that it's "coming soon" to Disney+.

"Kingdom Hearts has captivated gamers everyplace with its unsocial blend of escapade and imagination," Davis said pursuing the reveal. "There’s thing truly breathtaking astir taking a satellite fans person spent years exploring done the games and bringing it to beingness successful a wholly caller way. And with a originative squad that is moving intimately with the legendary Tetsuya Nomura, our caller bid volition beryllium unmistakably Kingdom Hearts, portion giving fans a full caller mode to acquisition the satellite they love."

It's unclear erstwhile we'll larn much astir the show, but determination is simply a accidental we get immoderate details aboriginal today. Disney volition soon big its Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts sheet arsenic portion of this year's D23. We'll beryllium keeping way of each of the biggest updates here. For more, you tin spot however Kingdom Hearts 4 reappeared for a Nintendo Direct earlier this year. You tin besides spot wherefore Disney Animation isn't penning disconnected a movie based connected the bid conscionable yet.

Michael Cripe is simply a freelance writer with IGN. He's champion known for his enactment astatine sites similar The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be definite to springiness him a travel connected Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).