The excitement surrounding the potential remake of Final Fantasy 9 has reached new heights following Square Enix's launch of an official 25th Anniversary website for the game. The site, written in Japanese, commemorates the game's release on July 7, 2000, and hints at upcoming projects to celebrate this milestone.
"We are preparing various projects, including merchandise and collaborations to commemorate the 25th anniversary, so please look forward to it!" the website states. This announcement, along with the website's existence, has fueled speculation among fans that a long-awaited Final Fantasy 9 remake might finally be on the horizon.
The timing of the website's launch has not gone unnoticed, especially with Nintendo's Switch 2-focused Direct scheduled for April 2. Some fans are hopeful that Square Enix could seize the moment to announce the Final Fantasy 9 remake for the Switch 2 during the Direct.
However, it's important to temper expectations. The website's mention of "various projects" could refer to a range of initiatives beyond a game remake. Last year, Final Fantasy 14 producer Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida provided insight into what a Final Fantasy 9 remake might entail, suggesting that the game's extensive content might not fit into a single title.
"Of course, I do know there are requests for Final Fantasy 9 to be made, but when you think about Final Fantasy 9, it’s a game with huge volume," Yoshi-P remarked. "When you think about all of that volume, I wonder if it’s possible to remake that as a single title. It’s a difficult one. It is a tough question."
Yoshi-P's comments hinted that a Final Fantasy 9 remake could follow the multi-part format of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is currently in the midst of a planned trilogy.
Adding fuel to the fire, earlier in 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 extras include the Ark summon from Final Fantasy 9 as a mount in Final Fantasy 14, and a wind-up Princess Garnet minion. Pre-orders of Dawntrail also came with a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P teased, "You may have noticed a lot of Final Fantasy 9 references here, but the reason is a secret,” before playfully zipping his mouth shut.
Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail Final Fantasy 9 Bonuses
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Rumors of a Final Fantasy 9 remake have been circulating since a 2021 Nvidia leak of upcoming titles, which included several Square Enix projects. While some of these, like the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the PC version of the Final Fantasy 7 remake, have come to fruition, the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics remain unconfirmed. Additionally, reports of a Final Fantasy 9 animated series surfaced in June 2021, though there have been no updates since then.
