It took a while, but Square Enix has finally brought fans up to speed on the current state ofKingdom Hearts, and the news is a mixed bag.Kingdom Hearts 4received collages of images in English and Japanese that revealed several gameplay details and gave a preview of how the HUD, visuals, and new enemy designs were shaping up. On the other hand,Kingdom Hearts Missing Link, after several previews and closed tests, was ultimately canceled before it could launch on mobile devices. SeeingKingdom Hearts 4again after years of silence is uplifting enough, but there’s still a bittersweet air to this round of updates.
At any rate,Kingdom Hearts 4is on its way, and some of its pieces are falling into place. Sora remains trapped in the unreality of Quadratum after the events ofKingdom Hearts 3, and is mysteriously joined by the thought-deadStrelitzia fromKingdom Hearts Union Cross. Forces of darkness have followed him alongside several more black-coated figures, and the ending ofKingdom Hearts: Melody of Memoryindicates that Riku is on his way too. What roles these characters will fill inKingdom Hearts 4remains to be seen, but at least one series icon looks to be staging a return to form: MIckey Mouse.
Kingdom Hearts 4 Has Plans For Mickey Mouse
The mid-May 2025 screenshots that Square Enix released forKingdom Hearts 4contained relatively few explicit revelations, but one particular image has massive ramifications. As ofKH3’s ending and the events ofMelody of Memory, Sora’s friends are scouring all the worlds they can access for traces of Sora, and Riku isn’t the only one whose current trajectory is known. Kairi is picking her Keyblade training back up under Master Aqua’s tutelage,Donald and Goofy were seen inKH4’s reveal trailerapparently visiting Hades in the Olympus Underworld, and King Mickey is paying another visit to a newer, but very important locale.
Mickey’s KH4 Plot Involves One Of KH’s Most Enigmatic Worlds
Namely, Mickey is paying the apparently abandoned Keyblade academy in Scala ad Caelum a visit. Although this world has only had limited screen time inKingdom Hearts 3andKingdom Hearts Dark Road, it was the place where Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort received their Keyblade training alongside the series’ last known large group of Keyblade initiates. Exploring this place more thoroughly could unearth all manner of secrets regarding Quadratum andKH’s ongoing storyline involving the Foretellers, so it’s expected that Mickey would try. What’s unexpected is that players could be joining him.
King Mickey Could Be Playable Again In Kingdom Hearts 4
Playing As Mickey Is A Rare Treat In KH
One screenshot released forKingdom Hearts 4shows Mickey standing on a series of hanging chandeliers in what appears to be a library, with the camera behind his back in a position suggesting gameplay. This is big news, asMickey Mouse being playable inKingdom Heartsis a rare and special privilege.Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMindwas the last time it happened, but that was a heavily scripted sequence that lay outside normal gameplay. The only other times Mickey has been directly playable were as a random second chance mechanic inKingdom Hearts 2, and as a secret character in358/2 Days.
Making King Mickey playable in normal gameplay is a big deal, andKingdom Hearts 4being able to justify and host it is an honor. The presence of manual platforming, a rarity inKingdom HeartssinceDream Drop Distanceintroduced Flowmotion, also implies some minor enemy spawns as players take Mickey through Scala ad Caelum, making for a complete playable Mickey experience. It’s great news thatKingdom Hearts 4is going out of its way to involve the series’ cast while also taking them in unexpected directions, and hopefully the promise of another playable Mickey Mouse lives up to his past exploits.
