Kingdom Hearts game soars up charts after tragic death of actor Hayden Panettiere
The concurrent reveal of a new trailer for Kingdom Hearts 4 and the tragic passing of beloved actress Hayden Panettiere have seemingly caused sales to spike for Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5, with the HD collection topping the charts on Steam this week.
While Panettiere didn't reprise her role as Kairi when Kingdom Hearts 3 released in 2019 – having noted that Square Enix and Disney 'never asked' for her to return, giving the role to Alyson Stoner instead – her performance as one of the series' most iconic characters is held strongly in the hearts of fans.
Many looked to revisit the earliest entries in the long-running gaming series following another reveal for Kingdom Hearts 4, which is current scheduled to come out in late 2027, and the heartbreaking news of Panettiere's death has only increased that drive.
It's unclear exactly how many recent sales have been driven solely by people looking to reminisce about her performance, yet it's bound to have an impact as it's what many gamers remember her so fondly for, especially in association with their younger years.
Kingdom Hearts game soars to top of Steam charts
As reported by Dexerto, both the official top sellers on PC storefront Steam, and the platform's 'trending' games feature a dramatic surge in activity for Kingdom Hearts -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX-, of which Panettiere plays a significant role.
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The global sales chart sees Kingdom Hearts only below Mortal Shell II when it comes to paid sales, with similar results across both the United States and United Kingdom.
Additionally, data from SteamCharts indicates that the HD remasters for the series' first two entries has also seen a big jump in player numbers, with the last 24 hours witnessing a 169.6% increase, registering a 24-hour peak of 10,139 players — just a fraction below the 11,152 player count it achieved at release.
Kingdom Hearts 3 has also seen a similar spike in player numbers, with a 141.8% increase across the last day, but sales are far higher for the series' first two entries when it comes to people actually buying the games.
Panettiere in her role as Kairi plays one of the three main original characters created in the Kingdom Hearts universe, accompanying protagonist Sora and fellow childhood friend Riku on a journey through countless iconic Disney worlds.
She also lent her voice to Xion, who is also one of the series' most popular characters, having voiced her in both Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, and Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.
Was Hayden Panettiere in any other games?
While Panettiere is arguably most famous for her voice work in the Kingdom Hearts series, she also made quite the impression in the interactive horror experience Until Dawn, where she provided motion capture and her likeness alongside her voice.
Released in 2015, it quickly became one of the most popular titles on the PlayStation 4, as fans loved all of the different ways that the story could play out, with their choices significantly impacting the outcome of the narrative.
Panettiere also appeared as Tati in The Mark of Kri, released in the same year as the first Kingdom Hearts, showing that while she might be more well known for her film and TV roles, many will remember her fondly for her work in video games.
Her family have asked for privacy in a time that's understandably incredibly difficult for them, and while the cause of death has not been explicitly disclosed by authorities, an investigation has been launched with more information reportedly arriving in the immediate future.