Square Enix is set to release Kingdom Hearts Collections on October 8. Following the June announcement, eagle-eyed gamers pointed out irregularities in the main artwork similar to the kind of errors GenAI tools would make. Square Enix denied it used AI-generated images and blamed the inconsistencies on human error.
Kingdom Hearts Collection is a bundle of three games, including Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mind. It will give Switch 2 players access to all currently available Kingdom Hearts games and spin-offs.
One of the most contentious errors in the collection’s main artwork was that Donald Duck had four fingers on the hand that held a staff and five fingers on the other. Other inconsistencies include irregular designs on Sora’s belt and shoes. Square Enix has since updated the image to give Donald Duck four fingers on both hands.
“We’re aware of feedback regarding recent Kingdom Hearts visuals,” a Square Enix PR rep told Gamespot.
“These assets were created by our development team without the use of generative AI, and the issues resulted from human error. Quality is extremely important to us, and updated assets have been implemented where appropriate.”
Square Enix released the Kingdom Hearts games on the original Nintendo Switch. However, the handheld console lacked the power to seamlessly play the games. Consequently, the games ended up being cloud editions that players could stream.
Players who purchased the cloud version can carry their save data to the Switch 2 editions. Square Enix also gave fans a glimpse of Kingdom Hearts 4 gameplay and confirmed that it would launch day one on Switch 2.
Do you think the Kingdom Hearts Collection artwork saga was a genuine human error or that Square Enix’s statement was an excuse to avoid backlash? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
