Square Enix Cancels Kingdom Hearts Mobile Game, Focuses on Kingdom Hearts 4

Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, the GPS-based mobile action RPG, has been canceled. However, it's not all bad news for Kingdom Hearts fans, as Square Enix confirmed it remains "hard at work" on Kingdom Hearts 4.

Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link was set to take players to Scala ad Caelum with a new, original story centered on the grand battle against the Heartless. Originally slated for a 2024 mobile release, the project is no longer moving forward.

In an unsigned statement posted to the game's X/Twitter account, Square Enix offered "heartfelt apologies to everyone who has been looking forward" to it. The company canceled the project after determining it would be "difficult to offer a service that players would find satisfactory over the long term." The statement did not specify the exact challenges faced.

"We wish to convey our heartfelt apologies to everyone who has been looking forward to the start of service," the statement read. "Despite our diligent development and adjustments in hopes of creating a game enjoyed by many, we concluded that delivering a consistently satisfactory long-term service would be challenging, leading to the decision to cancel development.

"We sincerely thank everyone who supported and participated in the multiple closed beta tests. We are deeply sorry to deliver this announcement."

Near the statement's conclusion, Square Enix reassured fans that the "Kingdom Hearts series will continue." The message hinted, "We are hard at work on Kingdom Hearts 4 and hope you'll continue to support the series as you watch for future updates."

This marks the first official mention of the highly anticipated sequel in months. The last update was a tiny, cryptic tease for Kingdom Hearts 4 back in January. Despite its full cinematic trailer reveal in September 2022, developer Square Enix has been notably quiet since, leaving fans eager for more information, a pattern familiar to the series.

Series director Tetsuya Nomura has suggested that Kingdom Hearts 4 will, after 22 years and numerous entries, finally begin steering the overarching Kingdom Hearts narrative toward its conclusion.