The Secret History of Canceled Kingdom Hearts Games You Never Knew About

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Summary

  • Kingdom Hearts had several cancellations throughout the years, including a 3D fighting game idea and a Birth By Sleep sequel.
  • Verum Rex, the fake video game from Kingdom Hearts 3, almost became a real, standalone product.
  • Kingdom Hearts Fragmented Keys and Missing-Link were interesting multiplayer projects that got scrapped by Disney and Square Enix respectively.

The Kingdom Hearts franchise, which doesn’t typically release new games frequently, creates quite an event whenever a new one is unveiled. Therefore, it seems almost unbelievable that developers Square Enix and Disney would abandon or discontinue a game in this series, but surprisingly, this has occurred on multiple occasions.

It’s astonishing and intriguing, given the struggles faced by other well-known gaming series, that there are records of Square Enix and Disney cancelling multiple Kingdom Hearts projects. This revelation, which occurred as recently as May 2025, is no less shocking. These projects, whether they were concepts that didn’t pan out or were transformed into completely different ventures, are worth remembering among the following five canceled/scrapped Kingdom Hearts games.

5. A Kingdom Hearts Fighting Game

Dissidia: Final Fantasy Was Originally Going To Be A Kingdom Hearts Spin-Off

In contrast to most Kingdom Hearts spin-offs that maintain similar gameplay styles, it’s surprising to learn that series creator Tetsuya Nomura nearly ventured into a unique direction in the mid-2000s. Following the release of Kingdom Hearts 2, he contemplated creating a fighting game within a 3D setting, and even started exploring the concept of developing an authentic Kingdom Hearts fighting game.

Initially, he abandoned his idea of Disney characters engaging in combat, finding it uneasy. Fortunately, he didn’t let this idea go to waste; instead, he transformed the project into a 3D fighting game within the Final Fantasy universe (later known as Dissidia: Final Fantasy). Additionally, he found a way to create something similar for the Kingdom Hearts series with the multiplayer mode of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Despite the success of these two games, fans continue to speculate about what a 3D Kingdom Hearts fighting game might have been like given the franchise’s focus on high-energy and extravagant action.

4. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep – Volume Two –

Birth By Sleep Almost Got Its Own Sequel, And It Looked Really Intriguing

It’s undeniable that “Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep” is one of the most cherished installments in the entire series. This prequel focuses on three Keyblade wielders – Ventus, Aqua, and Terra – who were once forgotten. The game takes place a decade before Sora’s adventure begins. In

In an interview, Tetsuya Nomura mentioned that he intended to share Aqua’s story, set during her time in the Realm of Darkness. He eventually got the opportunity when Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage was added to the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue collection. However, this was only a brief 2-hour experience that also functioned as a prelude and technical demonstration for Kingdom Hearts 3. Moreover, it didn’t cover all the story points from the original secret movie of 2011, particularly those that aligned with the plot of Kingdom Hearts 1. Although he never explicitly stated so, it seems likely that Nomura aimed to create a full Birth by Sleep sequel for PSP or 3DS, but was instructed by Square Enix to transform it into what eventually became A Fragmentary Passage.

3. Verum Rex

The Fake Video Game From The Toy Story World Almost Became Real

As a Kingdom Hearts 3 gamer, stepping into the eagerly anticipated Toy Box world of Toy Story was thrilling. Yet, what greeted me was utterly unforeseen: a commercial for a phony game named Verum Rex. This game seemed to be a clever wink at both Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy. To add to the mystery, the main character of this game, Yozora, later emerged as the hidden boss in Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind. This not only hinted at the significance of the Verum Rex world (Quadratum) within the Kingdom Hearts lore but also suggested its pivotal role in upcoming sequels.

An unexpected twist in these unusual occurrences is that Verum Rex almost materialized as a genuine Square Enix video game, one that players could buy and enjoy. Following the announcement of Kingdom Hearts 4 in 2022, Tetsuya Nomura disclosed in an interview that he and co-director Yasushi Yasue had seriously contemplated creating Verum Rex as the next installment in the series. However, since they also decided to develop Kingdom Hearts 4 around the same time, they abandoned Verum Rex due to the challenge of creating two console games simultaneously. Although there’s a chance this peculiar project might become a reality in the future, it appears that Nomura is incorporating most of his ideas and concepts into Kingdom Hearts 4 instead.

2. Kingdom Hearts Fragmented Keys (Kingdom Hearts Online)

A Weird Multiplayer Project That Square Enix Had No Involvement With

As a dedicated fan, I can’t forget the buzz that surrounded the rumored mobile game titled “Kingdom Hearts Fragmented Keys” back around the mid-to-late 2010s. This tantalizing prospect promised an online multiplayer experience, featuring fresh worlds from popular IPs yet unseen in the series, such as “Frozen,” “Tangled,” “Wreck-it-Ralph,” and even “Star Wars.” Needless to say, fellow fans were captivated by this seemingly abandoned project. Fortunately for us, snippets of never-before-seen footage and concept art started surfacing online in early 2025, courtesy of those who had worked on its development.

In 2012, StudioEX suggested a project to Disney, which they named Fragmented Keys (previously known as Kingdom Hearts Online). Although four other studios helped with the progress, Disney eventually terminated the project in 2014. The reasons behind its cancellation remain unclear, but it could be due to Square Enix’s absence from the development process since they had produced all previous Kingdom Hearts titles. Additionally, mobile multiplayer online games were not as popular or profitable during the early 2010s as they are today, which may have influenced Disney’s decision. Although the idea of Fragmented Keys was intriguing and some of its Disney worlds seemed promising, its artistic style and character designs appeared to be a poor fit for the franchise. Eventually, Disney and Square Enix attempted to explore the concept of an online multiplayer Kingdom Hearts game with the releases of Kingdom Hearts χ and Kingdom Hearts Union χ.

1. Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link

Another Canceled Multiplayer Game That Some Fans Even Got To Try Out

In 2022, during Kingdom Hearts’ 20th anniversary celebration, Square Enix officially unveiled two new games: the long-anticipated Kingdom Hearts 4 and a mobile game titled Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link. The latter is set to carry on the storyline from the multiplayer series entries Union χ and Dark Road. What made this announcement particularly intriguing was that Missing-Link would mark a departure from the traditional 2D graphics by featuring fully realized 3D characters and environments instead.

The game titled “Missing-Link” appeared quite intriguing with its aspects, boasting stunning graphics, a steampunk setting, an engaging narrative promising new revelations about the Kingdom Hearts timeline, and a captivating 3D combat system. However, one point didn’t sit well with many fans: it was intended to be an augmented reality game that heavily utilized the player’s real-world location, much like Pokemon GO. To add to this, concerns were raised among Kingdom Hearts fans as Union χ and Dark Road were removed from online stories in 2024. This led many fans to wonder if it was wise to release a plot-significant mainline entry on mobile devices instead of traditional platforms.

Despite undergoing two closed beta tests in 2023 for Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, which seemed to garner positive feedback regarding its presentation and gameplay, Square Enix remained silent about the title for over two years following these tests. This unexpected silence led to a delay of the promised 2024 release, with the game eventually being canceled in May 2024 due to difficulties in delivering a player-satisfactory service. Given that Missing-Link’s story was crucial for future installments like Kingdom Hearts 4, fans are left speculating about the fate of its narrative, characters, worlds, and assets. There’s a chance that Tetsuya Nomura and Square Enix may repurpose these elements into a new game or integrate them into Kingdom Hearts 4.

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2025-05-20 05:56