Excitement is building around the long-rumored Final Fantasy 9 remake, fueled by Square Enix's launch of an official 25th Anniversary website for the game. The site, which is in Japanese, commemorates the release date of Final Fantasy 9 on July 7, 2000, and celebrates the game's 25th anniversary this year. It teases fans with a promise of "various projects, including merchandise and collaborations," sparking speculation that an announcement for the much-anticipated remake could be imminent.
The timing of the website's launch has not gone unnoticed by the gaming community, especially with Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2-focused Direct scheduled for April 2. Fans are buzzing with the possibility that Square Enix might unveil the Final Fantasy 9 remake for the new console during this event.
While the website's mention of merchandise and collaborations might seem innocuous, the phrase "various projects" has ignited fervent discussions among fans. This excitement was further stoked last year when Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, hinted at what a Final Fantasy 9 remake might entail. Yoshi-P suggested that the game's vast content might necessitate a multi-part release, similar to the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy.
Adding to the speculation, 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 include the iconic Ark summon as a mount and a wind-up Princess Garnet minion, with pre-orders also receiving a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P playfully hinted at the significance of these Final Fantasy 9 references, leaving fans eager for more clues.
Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail Final Fantasy 9 Bonuses
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Rumors of a Final Fantasy 9 remake have persisted since a 2021 Nvidia leak, which included a list of unannounced games. This list, verified by Nvidia but possibly outdated, mentioned several Square Enix titles that have since been released or announced, such as the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC. However, the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics, both listed, have yet to see the light of day. Just months before the Nvidia leak, in June 2021, there were reports of a Final Fantasy 9 animated series in development, but no further updates have surfaced since then.
