Excitement is building among fans following Square Enix's launch of the official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website. This Japanese site highlights the game's original release date of July 7, 2000, and marks its 25th anniversary this year. The website teases fans with promises of "various projects, including merchandise and collaborations" to celebrate this milestone, fueling speculation about a potential 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. Many fans are hopeful that Square Enix might use this platform to announce the long-awaited Final Fantasy 9 remake for the Switch 2. While the website's mention of merchandise and collaborations might seem innocuous, the phrase "various projects" has sparked considerable buzz among the gaming community.
Last year, Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, discussed the challenges of remaking Final Fantasy 9. He noted the game's extensive content, suggesting that a remake might not fit into a single title. Yoshi-P hinted that it 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, with pre-orders offering a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P playfully hinted at the significance of these Final Fantasy 9 references, saying, "You may have noticed a lot of Final Fantasy 9 references here, but the reason is a secret," before 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, which included a list of unannounced games. While Nvidia confirmed the list's authenticity, it may be outdated. Several games on the list, such as the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC, have since been announced or released. However, 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.
