Unlockable themes for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue come at a price on PSN for North American players

UPDATE #3: The error has been fixed. The theme(s) are now free for everyone to download once you beat the games. For those who have already mistakenly purchased the theme(s), we recommend contacting PSN support to ask for a refund. Sony may ask for proof that the themes are free. Feel free to use the image below, courtesy of Reddit user Stonewall30nyr.

UPDATE #2:

Thank you for contacting SQUARE ENIX support,

 

We apologize for the delay in our response. The team looked into this issue and found that there appears to be an error with the game at this time. As recently reported by various users, the PSN theme(s) that are unlocked when completing the game(s) are requiring users to pay $2.99 (USD), but this is indeed an error. The PSN Theme(s) are supposed to be FREE for users as a reward for completing the game(s).

 

Our KINGDOM HEARTS support team, as well as management and development, have been informed of the issue, and are currently working to resolve the error in a timely manner. At this time, we must kindly ask for your patience while the issue is investigated, and we urge you to refrain from purchasing the PSN Theme(s), since they should be downloadable for free once the back-end error is fixed.

 

*If you have already purchased the theme(s), we sincerely apologize, as that was not our intention. We are currently working with the KINGDOM HEARTS team and Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) to issue a proper reimbursement for the mistakenly purchased PSN Theme(s).

 

Again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, but rest assured that our teams are working to resolve the issue in a timely manner. We thank you for contacting us, and we hope you continue to enjoy playing KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue, and best of luck in battle!

 

 

Thank you for contacting the SQUARE ENIX Support Center.

The original article follows:

With the release of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, many fans have bundled up and begun to play on their PlayStation 4's. One feature that may be familiar to fans is the unlockable themes that players can obtain after completing each title. In both Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX & HD 2.5 ReMIX, these themes were free for players and were able to download and put these themes on their home screens after completion. However, for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, the themes are currently not free.

Once you complete each title in the collection (Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A Fragmentary Passage-, Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD, & Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover) you will receive the option to obtain the theme for that individual title. However, they are currently priced at $2.99 when you select them to download. While it may seem like an error, seeing as they are free everywhere else, reddit user AsinineBinkie reports that they got a response from Square Enix support that read as follows:

Please note, completing KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8: Final Chapter Prologue will only unlock the ability to purchase the PlayStation themes, it is not a reward that is received for free for beating the game. We do apologize for the confusion.

Keep in mind that Square Enix has not made a public comment on the themes as of yet. Also, please note that the priced themes are only shown in the North American version of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue.

Update: A screenshot of a similar email has been provided by GameFAQs user domnu which you can view below.

Update: If you did indeed purchase the themes before they became free, we recommend contacting PSN for a refund. Proof that the themes are now free in North America is displayed below. Credit goes to reddit user Stonewall30nyr