Kingdom Hearts fans may have a large backlog of games to get through, but countless players have already experienced everything. After the launch of Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, the next game on the list was slated to be Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, the GPS-based action RPG for mobile devices.
After over a year of information drought, the official Missing-Link X account finally gave fans new information about the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what most fans expected, as the announcement revealed that Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link was cancelled.
Why was Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link cancelled?
The announcement that Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link was cancelled came through a social media post on the official X account. This cancellation happened despite putting out two closed beta tests, where players tried out the available features.
While Missing-Link was initially slated to have a 2024 release window, that date was delayed to post-2024. Fans didn’t get any further information. However, those who were part of the closed betas stated that the game suffered from various technical issues.
According to the development team’s announcement, this decision was made because the team determined Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link wouldn’t last for long. Considering it was supposed to be a live-service game, a lack of longevity means the game would have eventually stopped turning a profit as players lost interest.
This wouldn’t have been the first Kingdom Hearts mobile game, but it definitely would have been the first. Niantic’s Pokémon GO proved the GPS-based model had potential, but it was ultimately a rare case. Most of its initial player base was thanks to the trend at that time. That’s why so many left when the trend died, leaving only a fraction of its players.
Not all is lost, as the announcement concluded by stating the team was hard at work on Kingdom Hearts 4. Countless fans worldwide are anxiously anticipating the next mainline Kingdom Hearts entry, so Square Enix may add story elements originally from Missing-Link in Kingdom Hearts 4. Physical versions of the Kingdom Hearts All-in-One Package are on the horizon, too, and should keep fans busy till then.
