Prior to this week, the only options that Switch owners had to play the Kingdom Hearts franchise was via the cloud versions offered by Square Enix. However, with the new Switch and Switch 2 versions on the horizon, Square Enix has announced that Kingdom Hearts’ Switch cloud versions are being delisted.
The following titles will be affected by the decision and no longer playable after today, June 9.
・Kingdom Hearts – HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX – Cloud Version
・Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Cloud Version
・Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind (DLC) Cloud Version
・Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece Cloud Version
Separately, those game collections ranged from $40 to $50, while Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece brought them all together for $90. The newly announced digital versions of Kingdom Hearts – HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX for Switch and Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] for Switch 2 are available for preorder now. Players who owned Switch cloud copies of previous Kingdom Hearts games are eligible to get a 50% discount on the following digital versions:
・Kingdom Hearts – HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX – (Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 version)
・Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue (Nintendo Switch 2 version)
・Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind (DLC) (Nintendo Switch 2 version)
・Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] (Nintendo Switch 2 version)
There will be a physical version of Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] for Switch 2, but the discount will not be offered for that compilation. There is one bright spot for players who owned cloud versions of these games. Square Enix has confirmed that the save data from those editions will be transferable to the Switch 2 digital versions.
As for the future of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, Kingdom Hearts 4 received a surprise teaser during today’s Nintendo Direct. That came with the news that the Switch 2 port of Kingdom Hearts 4 will arrive alongside its counterparts on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. For now, the sequel doesn’t have a release date.