Square Enix Halts Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, Prioritizes Kingdom Hearts 4 Development

Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, a mobile action-RPG with GPS features, has been canceled, though Square Enix reassured fans that development on Kingdom Hearts 4 remains a top priority.

Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link was set to introduce players to Scala ad Caelum through a fresh storyline, battling Heartless on mobile devices, with an initial release planned for 2024.

In a statement shared on the game’s X/Twitter account, Square Enix expressed regret, stating it was “challenging to deliver a long-term experience that would fully satisfy players.” The statement offered no specific details on the difficulties encountered.

“We deeply apologize to everyone who was excited for the game’s launch,” the statement read. “Despite our efforts to refine the game for widespread enjoyment, we concluded that sustaining a satisfying player experience long-term would be difficult, leading to the decision to end development.”

“We sincerely thank everyone who supported us through multiple closed beta tests. We regret having to share this news.”

Toward the statement’s close, Square Enix affirmed that the “Kingdom Hearts series will move forward,” emphasizing that “we’re fully committed to Kingdom Hearts 4 and look forward to sharing more updates soon.”

This marks the first significant update on the eagerly awaited sequel since a brief, enigmatic tease for Kingdom Hearts 4 in January. Unveiled in September 2022 with a cinematic trailer, Square Enix has since kept details sparse, leaving fans eager for more, as is typical for the series.

Tetsuya Nomura, director of the Kingdom Hearts series, has suggested that Kingdom Hearts 4 will, after 22 years and 18 games, begin steering the Kingdom Hearts story toward its culmination.