Highlights

  • Updated textures for Kingdom Hearts will be available on both Steam and Epic Games Store starting June 13.
  • The texture update will only apply to Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix, not later titles like Dream Drop Distance.
  • Square Enix's shift towards multi-platform releases hints at an exciting future for Kingdom Hearts fans.

Along with the release of the Kingdom Hearts series on Steam, Square Enix stated that the Epic Games Store versions of each compilation will have updates to improve the environmental texture quality to match the respective Steam versions. The Kingdom Hearts texture update will drop on June 13, the same day the series will debut on Steam.

Initially released on the PS2 in 2002, Kingdom Hearts has remained a staple of Square Enix's repertoire, thanks to its cast of Final Fantasy and Disney characters and poignant plot. However, in March 2021, two years after the console release of Kingdom Hearts 3, the series debuted on PC on the Epic Games Store. The launch of the Kingdom Hearts series as an Epic Games Store exclusive series was divisive among fans. In the spring of 2024, Square Enix revealed a new, aggressive strategy to bring major franchises such as Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts to multiple platforms rather than continue with exclusivity offers.

A screenshot of Sora looking at his Gummiphone in Kingdom Hearts 3.
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Following their multi-platform plans, Square Enix revealed the Kingdom Hearts series was headed to Steam after three years of Epic Games Store exclusivity. Though the exclusivity window will soon end, Square Enix gave fans who bought the games on the Epic Games Store something to chew on. On social media, Square Enix stated that while the Steam version of Kingdom Hearts would have updated textures in various environments, the Epic Games Store version would follow suit. In a slideshow, Square Enix shared various environments from Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix on Steam, with worlds such as Agrabah and Disney Castle as the focal points of the texture update. The left pictures showed how the textures appeared at the time of writing, and the right side screenshots demonstrated how they should look once the update is released.

Kingdom Hearts Will Get Updated Textures on Steam and EGS

The texture patch will launch on June 13 on the Epic Games Store, the same day the Kingdom Hearts series will launch on Steam. However, the texture update for the Kingdom Hearts series will only be seen in the first handful of titles, not later ones such as Dream Drop Distance. While the Kingdom Hearts series is known for its timeless graphics, it remains to be seen if the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix console versions will see similar improvements as the PC versions.

Though the Steam release of Kingdom Hearts is welcome news for fans, that has not stopped rumors concerning the highly-anticipated Kingdom Hearts 4 from turning up. Only time will tell when Square Enix will reveal more details.