The Kingdom Fate of Missing Link, and the Weight It Leaves Behind
The Kingdom Hearts series has always demanded attention to every detail—every spinoff, mobile entry, or obscure data-world event has mattered. So when Kingdom Hearts: Missing Link, a highly-anticipated mobile entry directly tied to KH4, was officially canceled, it sent shockwaves through the fanbase.
What does this mean for the Missing Link storyline? And will KH4 now have to carry the narrative burden alone?
Every KH Game Matters — Yes, Even the Mobile Ones
Don’t be fooled by the platform: every Kingdom Hearts game contributes to the franchise’s tangled but masterfully interconnected lore.
Even ReCoded — featuring a data Sora in a digital world — contains key narrative beats that feed directly into KH3 and beyond.
Missing Link, despite being a mobile game, was never going to be “skippable.” In fact, in a 2022 Game Informer interview, Tetsuya Nomura made it crystal clear:
“Compared to our past mobile releases, it’s a lot closer to the series and also connected in many ways to Kingdom Hearts 4.”
What Was
Missing Link
Supposed to Be?
Based on trailers and two limited beta tests, Missing Link promised some tantalizing new narrative elements:
- New characters like Freya, Remus, and Nept (members of the mysterious Baroque Society).
- A new concept of “drifters”, hinting at multidimensional or time-warping traversal.
- The introduction of the astral plane in gameplay for the first time.
This wasn’t filler — it was foundational setup for KH4’s larger story arc.
Where Does All That Story Go Now?
With Missing Link shelved, the question becomes — will KH4 now carry its entire narrative load?
That could be risky. One of the biggest complaints about KH3 was its pacing and narrative density. It tried to tie up a dozen plot threads from 358/2 Days, Birth By Sleep, Dream Drop Distance, and more — all in a single game.
And it showed.
Let’s be honest — no fan wants a repeat of that chaotic final act.
Maybe
Missing Link
Should Stay… Missing?
Here’s a hot take: maybe this is for the best.
Games like 358/2 Days succeeded because they had a focused, emotionally powerful story. With KH4 launching a brand-new saga, it’s the perfect chance to return to that type of storytelling — intimate, character-driven, and emotionally resonant.
Yes, it’s unfortunate to lose Missing Link’s narrative threads. But trying to shoehorn them all into KH4 might end up watering down both.
The Hope: We’ll See
Missing Link’s
Story Another Way
Square Enix may still find a way to integrate those ideas — via optional lore entries, in-game cutscenes, or a new type of game down the line. But as it stands, we can only hope KH4 doesn’t get crushed under the weight of what Missing Link left behind.
Final Thoughts:
- Missing Link looked promising — and its loss stings.
- But KH4 needs a clean slate more than ever.
- Let it shine on its own terms.
