Square Enix has just revealed the cancellation of Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link, the long-troubled title that suffered from many delays. In a post on social media, the team explained that it couldn’t deliver a ‘satisfactory’ game ‘over a long period of time’, so the development of the live-service title has simply been canned.
By way of reparation, the team stressed that work on Kingdom Hearts IV continues and that they’ll provide more updates soon.
Long Time (Not) Coming
Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link was unveiled in 2022, with Square Enix explaining that the minor(ish) title would serve as a stopgap between major releases. It was to patch the hole in the series leading to Kingdom Hearts IV, which remains in development following the cancellation news.
For those not in the know, Missing-Link was a mobile-only title in development for around six years at Square Enix. It was set to feature GPS mechanics like Pokémon GO, with the in-game map being based on your real-world location.
Here’s the post from Square Enix:
We have made the decision to cancel the development of KINGDOM HEARTS Missing-Link.
We wish to convey our heartfelt apologies to everyone who has been looking forward to the start of service.
Although we worked hard on developing and adjusting the game in the hope that it would be enjoyed by lots of players, we determined that it would be difficult for us to offer a service that players would find satisfactory over a long period of time, leading us to the decision to cancel development.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to everyone who gave us their support and assistance with the multiple closed beta tests. We are truly sorry to have to make this announcement.
The KINGDOM HEARTS series will continue. We are hard at work on KINGDOM HEARTS IV, and hope you’ll continue to support the series as you keep an eye out for further updates.
Are you disappointed about the loss of Missing-Link? Let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that people have spotted a child (or have they?) in a GTA 6 shot
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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