Earlier this week, the Kingdom Hearts Union χ Dark Road app was unexpectedly removed from the Apple and Google Play stores.
The Kingdom Hearts Union χ Dark Road mobile game contained foundational elements, key story details, and an in-depth plot that served as the foundation for much of the Kingdom Hearts series. Unchained X, formerly known as Union X, and Dark Road received a compilation of cutscenes that people can watch to experience the story, but playing the game now seems to be a bygone pastime for Kingdom Hearts fans.
This removal poses big problems since one of the main characters introduced in the mobile game, Strelitzia, also appears in the first trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 and is expected to play a major role in the new installment alongside Sora.
Abruptly removing games from the list without notice is nothing new. Last April, Capcom removed three of its games from the list, and according to the Video Game History Foundation, 87% of video games released in the United States before 2010 are “critically endangered,” meaning those games are lost and/or at risk of disappearing.
Fans are hoping that Kingdom Hearts Union χ Dark Road will either get a remake or be released outside of the mobile space. Clicking on the Google Play link for Kingdom Hearts Union χ Dark Road brings up an error screen.
Square Enix has yet to make an official announcement regarding the discontinuation of development on Union χ Dark Road, although the game's official website is still up and running.