The buzz around a potential Final Fantasy 9 remake has reignited following Square Enix's launch of an official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website. The site, which is in Japanese, highlights the game's original release date of July 7, 2000, and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It promises "various projects, including merchandise and collaborations" to commemorate the milestone, fueling speculation about the long-awaited remake.
The timing of the website's launch has not gone unnoticed by fans, especially with Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2-focused Direct scheduled for April 2. Some are hopeful that Square Enix might unveil the Final Fantasy 9 remake for the Switch 2 during this event. However, the website's mention of "various projects" could refer to anything from merchandise to collaborations, leaving room for interpretation.
Last year, Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, discussed the challenges of remaking Final Fantasy 9. He pointed out the game's extensive content, suggesting that it might not fit into a single title. Yoshi-P hinted that a remake could follow the format of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is planned as a trilogy.
In early 2024, Yoshi-P announced Final Fantasy 9-themed extras for the Collector’s Edition and Digital Collector’s Edition of the Final Fantasy 14 expansion Dawntrail. These include Final Fantasy 9’s Ark summon as a mount and a wind-up Princess Garnet minion, with pre-orders offering a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P teased the presence of these references, saying, "You may have noticed a lot of Final Fantasy 9 references here, but the reason is a secret,” before playfully zipping his mouth shut.
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Rumors of a Final Fantasy 9 remake have been circulating since a 2021 Nvidia leak that included unannounced games from Square Enix. Although Nvidia confirmed the leak's authenticity, the list might be outdated. It included titles like the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC, which have since been released or announced. However, the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics, also on the list, remain unconfirmed. Additionally, a Final Fantasy 9 animated series was reported to be in development in June 2021, but there have been no updates since.
