It's looking likely that we could be getting another look at Kingdom Hearts 4 this month. The franchise is set for a retrospective showcase at D23, and some potential panelists have been revealed, increasing the odds that the latest installment will be part of proceedings in some capacity.
The Deep Dive into Kingdom Hearts panel will take place on August 15, and thanks to the D23 app, we now know three possible participants (thanks, Kingdom Hearts Insider). Haley Joel Osment will be at the event, an expected presence since he's the voice of protagonist Sora as well as the villain Vanitas.
He's being joined by David Gallagher, the voice of Riku, another unsurprising attendee. But the third person listed is an exciting one: Tai Yasue, the co-director of Kingdom Hearts 4.
Now, Yasue also co-directed Kingdom Hearts 3 and a bunch of the spin-offs, including Birth by Sleep and Dream Drop Distance, making him a tenured voice on the property's development, but it's convenient he can speak to the upcoming sequel, too. This could be the first time we hear a lead dev speak on Sora, Donald and Goofy's next misadventure, if it happens, but I should note they're all just listed for D23 in general and not tied to any specific showcase.
Thus far, we've just two trailers. And though it's exciting, it's been difficult to fully contextualize (Kingdom Hearts being obtuse, shocking right?), so it'll be helpful to get some insights into where the narrative is going and what roles some of the characters will be playing.
There's no release window yet for the next mainline installment, and I wouldn't expect one at D23. A showcase handled specifically by Square Enix is much more likely for that information, but we may get a little more footage alongside whatever the panelists can tell us. We've come a long way from sealing the darkness in Wonderland and the Deep Jungle, and the road forward continues unabated.
