After announcing Kingdom Hearts Collection, Square Enix shared an image that quickly sparked discussion among fans. Many players believed the image had been created or edited with AI because of several unusual details and visible mistakes.
In a statement shared with GameSpot, a Square Enix spokesperson said the company had reviewed the feedback from players and updated the artwork where needed. More importantly, the publisher said that no generative AI was used for any version of the image.
Square Enix Says Kingdom Hearts Collection Artwork Was a Human Error, Not AI
They said:
We’re aware of feedback regarding recent Kingdom Hearts visuals. 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.
However, Square Enix did not explain exactly how the artwork was created. GameSpot also pointed out that while the updated image appears to have fixed Donald Duck’s hand, other details, including the clock tower and Sora’s shoes, still look unusual.
Not everyone has accepted the company’s explanation. On social media, many players said that even if the image was not made with AI, the artwork still looks poor and should be recreated from scratch. So far, though, Square Enix does not appear to be planning to replace it completely.
