- Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link has been canned by Square Enix
- The GPS-based ARPG was set to take place at a previously unseen point in the saga
- However, the focus has shifted entirely to the upcoming Kingdom Hearts IV
Square Enix’s upcoming mobile spin-off of their ARPG franchise Kingdom Hearts, Missing-Link, has been cancelled. After more than a few delays, including to its highly anticipated Android closed beta test, it seems Square Enix has chosen to shutter development of Missing-Link and refocus their efforts for the series squarely on Kingdom Hearts IV.
Set during a supposed forgotten chapter of the Kingdom Hearts saga, Missing-Link would integrate GPS and ARPG battles. Naturally, it saw you wielding one of the iconic keyblades in your battles to defeat the hordes of monstrous Heartless trying to destroy the world.
The integration of GPS elements was one of the key selling points for Missing-Link, however, it wasn’t entirely clear how this would function. By all measures, players would be able to travel to different global locations remotely, although it wasn’t clear how this would function, but the somewhat unusual nature of this mechanic may have caused concern behind the scenes.
Be there or be square
By now, Square Enix canning their mobile releases has become something of a meme. And a lot of this could be credited to the fact that Square Enix’s catalogue, although critically acclaimed in many cases, is still incredibly dense.
For many players in Japan, new mobile releases are welcome, but it can be hard to find an international audience. Something which, of course, wouldn’t have affected Kingdom Hearts. In which case, it’s best to assume that development found the core concept difficult to reconcile, and that their attention would be better placed on the upcoming mainline series entry.
But in the meantime, if you need to scratch your RPG itch, then you needn’t fret. Instead, why not check out our list of the top 25 best mobile RPGs on iOS and Android? Featuring flighty fantasy and gruesome grimdark in equal measure.
