New Kingdom Hearts 4 Screenshots Revealed Amid Missing-Link Cancellation

Exciting news has emerged for fans of the beloved Kingdom Hearts series as new screenshots for Kingdom Hearts 4 have surfaced, coinciding with the unexpected cancellation of Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link. Dive in to discover more about these captivating screenshots and the sudden halt in the development of Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link.

Kingdom Hearts 4 Shows Signs of Life, as Missing-Link Gets Canceled

Kingdom Hearts 4 Screenshots Show New Heartless Variant and a Playable King Mickey

After a prolonged silence of three years, Kingdom Hearts 4 has finally shown signs of life with a series of new screenshots. On May 15, official Kingdom Hearts social media channels unveiled these much-anticipated images, offering fans a glimpse into the eagerly awaited sequel. Accompanying the screenshots, Square Enix released a message reaffirming their commitment to the game's development.

"We’re currently working hard on Kingdom Hearts IV and will continue pouring ourselves into the game’s development. We’re dedicated to making this an experience that lives up to your expectations!" the statement begins. It continues, "We’ve seen how excited you are, and we are truly grateful from the bottom of our hearts. We are equally excited and can’t wait to share more about Kingdom Hearts IV when the time is right. Until then, we appreciate your patience."

While no specific release window was disclosed, these new screenshots have sparked numerous theories and renewed hope among the fanbase. A particularly intriguing image suggests that King Mickey might be playable in Kingdom Hearts 4. Although Mickey has been a playable character in previous entries such as Kingdom Hearts 2 and 358/2 Days, his appearances were often limited to specific scenarios. In Kingdom Hearts 2, he would take over when Sora was defeated during critical moments, and in 358/2 Days, he was playable only during designated missions. The new screenshot hints at Mickey's potential involvement in a library setting, possibly within Scala ad Caelum—a location Sora visited towards the end of Kingdom Hearts 3. This could suggest Mickey is delving into the lore of the Foretellers, a group of Keyblade Masters expected to play a significant role in the upcoming saga.

Additional screenshots feature Sora, showcasing his updated appearance with regular-sized shoes, in various settings. One image depicts him engaged in combat with a new Heartless variant, hinting at a "Build" mechanic that could allow Sora to create weapons like grappling hooks or drills. Another screenshot shows Sora in the streets of Quadratum, a city inspired by real-life Tokyo, with a distant shower of bright light visible.

Strelitzia, a character introduced in the game's reveal trailer and Kingdom Hearts Union X, also appears alongside a rotary phone in one of the images. Given that Quadratum incorporates elements like rotary phones, as mentioned by series director Tetsuya Nomura in a 2022 Famitsu interview, this could have implications for the gummiphones seen in Kingdom Hearts 3. Fans are hopeful that this might mean the ability to take and share photos within the game's pseudo-Instagram app.

The release of these screenshots marks a significant moment for Kingdom Hearts enthusiasts, especially following a period of limited updates on Kingdom Hearts 4. The game was first announced in April 2022 during the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary event, and fans are eager to avoid another lengthy wait akin to the decade between Kingdom Hearts 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3.

For more insights into Kingdom Hearts 4, continue reading below!