Square Enix denies using generative AI on Kingdom Hearts art

Square Enix has denied using generative AI to produce promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts Collection 1-3, responding roughly two months after players first raised the accusation.

Players began pointing to apparent irregularities in the artwork in early June. The publisher did not address them publicly until now.

The representative acknowledged the online reaction and said Square Enix would update the artwork to remove the specific instances players had identified.

What players flagged

The reported problems were concentrated in character and background detail. Donald Duck was drawn with five fingers on one hand and four on the other, with what players described as melting effects around his zipper. The chain on Mickey Mouse's keyblade appeared to change into a different style of chain partway down. Sora's shoes did not match his in-game character model, and the hands on the clock tower were bent downward and inconsistent with earlier artwork.

Eurogamer, reviewing the updated asset that GameSpot flagged, reported that the revision corrects Donald's hands but leaves the clock tower, the keyblade chain and the shoes unchanged.

The outlet said it remained doubtful of the explanation, citing the number of separate anomalies in a single image and the fact that the partial revision left most of them in place. Square Enix has not said which parts of the artwork the human error it describes affected, or at what stage of production it occurred.

The two-month gap between the accusations and the statement is itself notable: the images circulated widely in early June, and the publisher let that period pass without comment before issuing a denial.

Release timing

Kingdom Hearts Collection 1-3 is due on October 8, 2026 for PC, Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The collection is separate from Kingdom Hearts 4, which recently resurfaced after an extended period without a substantial update.