Excitement is once again building around the long-discussed Final Fantasy 9 remake following Square Enix's launch of an official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website. This site, which is in Japanese, commemorates the game's release date on July 7, 2000, and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The website teases fans with the promise of "various projects, including merchandise and collaborations" to mark this milestone, fueling speculation that a much-anticipated remake might finally be revealed.
The timing of the website's launch has not gone unnoticed by fans, especially with Nintendo's Switch 2-focused Direct scheduled for April 2. Many are hopeful that Square Enix might announce the Final Fantasy 9 remake for the Switch 2 at this event. Although the website mentions only merchandise and collaborations, the term "various projects" has sparked widespread speculation.
Last year, Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, discussed the potential challenges of remaking Final Fantasy 9. He pointed out the game's substantial content, suggesting that it might not fit into a single title. Yoshi-P hinted that the remake could follow the model of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is being released as a trilogy.
In early 2024, Yoshi-P announced Final Fantasy 9-themed bonuses for the Collector's Edition and Digital Collector's Edition of the Final Fantasy 14 expansion Dawntrail. These include the Ark summon as a mount and a wind-up Princess Garnet minion. Pre-orders of Dawntrail also came with a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P playfully hinted at the significance of these Final Fantasy 9 references, leaving fans intrigued.
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 listed the game among upcoming titles. While Nvidia confirmed the leak's authenticity, the list might be outdated. Several games mentioned, such as the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC, have since been released or announced. However, the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics, also on the list, remain unconfirmed. Additionally, just months before the Nvidia leak, a Final Fantasy 9 animated series was reported to be in development, though no updates have surfaced since.
