Square Enix has cancelled development of mobile game Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link.
In a statement on social media, the company stated it would be “difficult for us to offer a service that players would find satisfactory over a long period of time”. However, it confirmed that Kingdom Hearts 4 – the long-awaited next mainline entry in the series – is still in development.
Missing-Link would have been a GPS-based action-RPG similar to Pokémon Go but with Disney characters and combat against Heartless similar to the mainline console games. Gameplay was shown at the series’ 20th anniversary celebration.
“We wish to convey our heartfelt apologies to everyone who has been looking forward to the start of service,” the statement reads.
“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.”
The company thanked those who took part in multiple closed beta tests, before concluding: “The Kingdom Hearts series will continue. We are hard at work on Kingdom Hearts 4, and hope you’ll continue to support the series as you keep an eye out for further updates.”
The series has received multiple spin-offs outside of its three main entries across mobile and handheld consoles, with each extending the overarching plot a little further.
However, it’s been six years since the release of Kingdom Hearts 3 on PS4 and Xbox One, the most recent series entry.
Square Enix officially announced Kingdom Hearts 4 back in 2022 for the series’ 20th anniversary celebration, but little has been heard about it since.
Last year, series director Tetsuya Nomura stated the fourth game will be a reset of the story but will lead towards a series conclusion as he looks to retire.
Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link is the latest mobile game to be cancelled by Square Enix.
Back in February this year, the iOS version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was shut down due to an ongoing bug. This followed the likes of Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius, Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia, and Final Fantasy 7 battle royale The First Soldier, which were all shut down due to declining player numbers.