Excitement is building among fans following Square Enix's launch of an official 25th Anniversary website for Final Fantasy 9. This Japanese website commemorates the game's initial release on July 7, 2000, and highlights the upcoming 25th anniversary. The site teases fans with a message about "various projects, including merchandise and collaborations" in the works to celebrate this milestone, fueling speculation about a long-awaited Final Fantasy 9 remake.
The timing of the website's launch has not gone unnoticed, especially with Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2-focused Direct scheduled for April 2. This has led to speculation that Square Enix might use this platform to announce a Final Fantasy 9 remake for the new console. Although the website primarily mentions merchandise and collaborations, the phrase "various projects" has sparked significant interest and discussion among the fanbase.
Last year, Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, discussed the potential challenges of remaking Final Fantasy 9. He noted the game's extensive content, suggesting that a remake might not fit into a single title and could follow the multi-part approach seen with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is currently 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, with pre-orders also receiving a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P hinted at the significance of these Final Fantasy 9 references but kept the details under wraps, further stoking the fires of speculation.
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, which listed several unannounced Square Enix titles, including the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics. While some games from the leak have since been announced or released, such as the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC, the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics remain unconfirmed. Additionally, a Final Fantasy 9 animated series was reported to be in development in June 2021, but no further updates have been provided since then.
