Kingdom Hearts Remake Leaves Gamers Divided

4 days ago 16

Published Feb 7, 2026, 3:44 PM EST

Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2022 and editing since 2024. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted.

A new rumor about a Kingdom Hearts remake has quickly kickstarted conversations, and it's safe to say that fans of the series are divided on the topic. While the original Kingdom Hearts game has returned in remastered collections, Square Enix has never attempted to remake it in a modern engine, meaning the experience today is essentially the same as when Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix released in 2002.

Streamer HMKilla shared a rumor of a Kingdom Hearts remake called Kingdom Hearts Relux on X, following a video released by YouTuber eXtas1s. The rumor suggests that the remake will update the graphics, add playable Riku segments, and more. It's allegedly set to release in early 2027, but Reddit users like Lov3sosa aren't convinced of its legitimacy, and they have good reason to be skeptical.

Is Kingdom Hearts Getting A Remake?

Most Signs Point To No

Which Kingdom Hearts Game You Should Play First (& Why) KH1 Chronological

While eXtas1s has been right about some leaks before, this rumor isn't worth placing too much stock in. The Reddit gaming leaks community rates eXtas1s as a "Generally Unreliable" source, and an X post from NateTheHate2 claims that notable insiders have deemed the rumors fake.

Raplorde's top comment on Reddit pokes fun at the rumor's believability, likening the odds of the remake's existance to their chance of winning the lottery. Not everyone, however, is quite as skeptical. Keviticas notes that the described remake would be "extremely stupid," and thus, they "completely believe it."

We Kinda Wanted Kingdom Hearts 4 First

Let's Stay Focused

Kingdom Hearts 4 Sora, from the game's announcement trailer.

Remakes are all the rage these days, but seven years after Kingdom Hearts 3, it would be nice to get Kingdom Hearts 4 before revisiting previous games. The ReMIX remasters of the original games hold up just fine, largely thanks to the cartoon simplicity of the original art style. A remake would be an unnecessary endeavor, and cited changes, like replacing Deep Jungle with a Jungle Book world, sound like pointless meddling.

Kingdom Hearts 4, meanwhile, could be the franchise's new opportunity to deliver a game that lives up to the original legacy. Kingdom Hearts 2 is beloved, and rightfully so, but I don't think that any of the subsequent entries have quite recaptured the strength of the first game's simple story and compelling atmosphere.

It's probably nothing to worry about, as there really doesn't appear to be any legitimate backing behind the rumors. After declaring Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to be a financial disappointment, Square Enix might also start backing down from remakes. Even so, a Kingdom Hearts remake certainly remains within the realm of possibility.