Square Enix Faces AI Art Allegations for Kingdom Hearts Collection

Notebookcheck reports that Square Enix published official promotional art for the Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] showing covers for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox, and that fans detected visual anomalies in those images. GamesRadar reports that online observers highlighted misrendered hands on Donald Duck and Sora, background "meltiness", and inconsistent layering and line work as reasons to suspect the use of generative AI. Notebookcheck reports the collection is scheduled for release on October 8.

Across the industry, generative AI image models commonly produce characteristic defects such as extra or missing fingers, odd limb geometry, and background blending errors. Reporting on the Kingdom Hearts art matches those known failure modes, which often appear when generated or composited imagery is not followed by careful manual cleanup.

Notebookcheck reports some fans argued that longtime franchise artist Tetsuya Nomura would be unlikely to use machine learning on core franchise art, and social discussion has proposed alternative explanations such as hastily assembled asset composites. GamesRadar frames the visual issues as unusually sloppy for a franchise with an extensive library of existing covers.

Industry context: Allegations that commercial marketing used generative AI for character-based IP revive ongoing debates about attribution, licensing, and the ethics of synthetic art in entertainment marketing. Industry observers note that controversies involving recognisable characters tend to attract sharper scrutiny from fan communities and media outlets, increasing reputational risk for publishers irrespective of intent.

Look for an official statement from Square Enix or the publisher, updates to distributor artwork, provenance or metadata for the assets, and any follow-up reporting that documents whether images were generated, composited, or derived from legacy art. Observers will also watch whether platform holders or retail partners request replacements or clarifications.