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Disney outlines its next phase for games, linking franchises, parks and streaming-first stories at D23
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Business/The Apex Times/Aug 16, 12:09 PM EDT

Disney outlines its next phase for games, linking franchises, parks and streaming-first stories at D23

At D23, Disney Games previewed Kingdom Hearts IV and a related anime series, rolled out a new Fortnite-linked Star Wars mission, and introduced Marvel’s Wolverine for PlayStation 5 as the company positions games as a “front door” to its IP.

By The Apex Times Newsroom4 min readAI-assisted Apex article

Disney used D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event to lay out a multi-pronged roadmap for its games business, positioning interactive entertainment as a way for fans to discover and deepen relationships with Disney stories across platforms. In a series of announcements spanning major franchises and developer partners, Disney framed games as a new “front door” into its broader entertainment universe, rather than a standalone product line.

The biggest spotlight fell on Kingdom Hearts. During Disney’s Disney & Pixar Games and Square Enix showcase, Disney previewed a new trailer and release window for Kingdom Hearts IV, describing it as the next mainline entry in a franchise celebrating its 25th anniversary next year. Disney said the series has sold more than 39 million units worldwide and expects Kingdom Hearts IV to arrive in late 2027, featuring a world inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Coco. The company also said the game will bring Miguel and Hector into Sora’s next adventure.

Alongside the game, Disney announced an original anime series inspired by the Kingdom Hearts franchise, described as Kingdom Hearts (working title). The series is set for Disney Channel and Disney+, and will be produced with Tetsuya Nomura, the game’s creator, and the creative team at Square Enix. The announcement positions the anime as a reimagining with a brand-new story intended to expand the Kingdom Hearts universe beyond the games themselves.

Disney’s D23 events also included a “DEEP DIVE into KINGDOM HEARTS” panel. The company said it featured insights and appearances from Nomura, Tai Yasue, Nana Gadd, and voice actors Haley Joel Osment (Sora) and David Gallagher (Riku). The panel was livestreamed and included an extended look at Kingdom Hearts IV, reinforcing Disney’s push to treat games, live panels and related media as part of a single fan journey.

On the partnership front, Disney highlighted its ongoing collaboration with Epic Games in Fortnite. Disney said Disney Digital Entertainment and Epic Games celebrated a new benchmark in their relationship with the launch of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run | Fortnite on Sunday. Disney described the initiative as the first time Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run extends beyond Disney’s physical Galaxy’s Edge attraction into a digital adventure inside Fortnite, naming the Fortnite mode as Smugglers Gambit.

Disney said the connected experience ties the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort to an all-new Star Wars adventure in Fortnite. Sean Shoptaw, executive vice president of Disney Games and Digital Entertainment, said he was particularly proud that Smugglers Gambit was built in-house by a Disney Games team, and he described the concept as a mission that starts on a real attraction and continues digitally after guests step off. Disney also quoted Asa Kalama of Walt Disney Imagineering, saying the attraction extends into a connected digital adventure, with the goal of deepening how guests engage across both settings.

Disney also used D23 to show that it is continuing to broaden its game pipeline across studios and demographics. At the Disney Entertainment Showcase, it reported that Marvel Games, Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment unveiled a new trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine. Disney said the game launches exclusively on PlayStation 5 on September 15, while describing it as evidence of gaming audiences spanning multiple generations of fans. The company did not provide additional gameplay details beyond the trailer mention.

Putting those announcements together, Disney’s message at D23 was consistent: it wants games to operate as a durable entry point to its storytelling ecosystem. Kingdom Hearts illustrates the company’s approach of tying long-running interactive franchises to additional media formats, while the Fortnite and Galaxy’s Edge connection shows Disney’s interest in translating theme-park moments into ongoing digital missions. In practical terms, this also reflects the company’s broader strategy to keep franchises alive across different consumption modes, with games serving as both audience-building and merchandising-adjacent touchpoints.

Still, several specifics were left open. Disney did not provide sales targets, budget figures, or detailed monetization plans for any of the projects. For Kingdom Hearts IV, aside from the late-2027 timeframe and the Coco-inspired world element featuring Miguel and Hector, the company did not disclose platform coverage or deeper feature sets. Likewise, on the Fortnite side, Disney explained how the attraction-to-mission concept works, but it did not outline how expansive Smugglers Gambit will be over time or what future updates might include.

What to watch next is how Disney connects these releases into a coherent calendar and whether it follows through on its stated goal of expanding collaboration across partners. The next concrete milestones include the progression of Kingdom Hearts IV and its linked anime expansion, plus the September 15 launch of Marvel’s Wolverine on PlayStation 5 and the ongoing evolution of the Fortnite experience tied to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. For investors and analysts, the key question will be whether Disney’s games strategy continues to move from high-profile announcements into sustained, measurable engagement.

Why It Matters

  • The announcements reinforce Disney’s attempt to grow games into a cross-platform distribution channel for major IP, including tie-ins to TV and streaming.
  • By connecting theme-park experiences to Fortnite missions, Disney is testing a repeatable model for retaining engagement beyond a single visit.
  • The Kingdom Hearts anime suggests Disney is willing to extend game worlds through traditional media, potentially reducing reliance on any single format.
  • A PlayStation 5 exclusive release for Marvel’s Wolverine highlights Disney’s continued emphasis on big-budget, partner-driven launches aimed at mainstream console audiences.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Disney said its D23 games announcements are designed to make games a “front door” for fans to discover and connect with Disney stories and characters.
  • Kingdom Hearts IV was previewed with a new trailer and a late-2027 release window, with Disney citing over 39 million units sold for the franchise and highlighting a Coco-inspired world.
  • Disney announced a Kingdom Hearts (working title) anime series with Tetsuya Nomura and Square Enix, slated for Disney Channel and Disney+.
  • Disney said Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run | Fortnite launched Sunday, extending its Galaxy’s Edge attraction into Fortnite through a new Star Wars mission mode called Smugglers Gambit.
  • Disney’s D23 coverage also included a trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine, which Disney said launches exclusively on PlayStation 5 on September 15.
  • Disney quoted Disney Games and Imagineering executives describing the attraction-to-digital mission concept and Disney’s in-house role in building Smugglers Gambit.

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