Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary Site Hints at Switch 2 Remake Reveal

The buzz surrounding a potential Final Fantasy 9 remake has intensified following the launch of Square Enix's official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website. The site, which is in Japanese, commemorates the game's original release on July 7, 2000, and highlights the upcoming 25th anniversary celebrations.

"We are preparing various projects, including merchandise and collaborations to commemorate the 25th anniversary, so please look forward to it!" the website states. This seemingly innocent announcement, coupled with the creation of the anniversary website, has fueled speculation that Square Enix might finally unveil the long-awaited Final Fantasy 9 remake.

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 could announce the Final Fantasy 9 remake for the Switch 2 during this event. However, the website's mention of "merchandise and collaborations" leaves room for interpretation, and the phrase "various projects" has certainly sparked excitement and speculation.

Last year, Final Fantasy 14 producer Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida offered some insight into what a Final Fantasy 9 remake might entail, hinting that it might not fit into a single game. "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 explained. "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." He suggested that the remake could follow a multi-part approach similar to the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is currently being released as a planned trilogy.

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 Final Fantasy 9’s Ark summon as a mount in Final Fantasy 14 and a wind-up Princess Garnet minion. Garnet, also known as Dagger, is one of the main characters of Final Fantasy 9. Pre-ordering Dawntrail also grants players a wind-up Zidane minion, with Zidane being the protagonist of Final Fantasy 9. During PAX East, Yoshi-P teased the presence 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 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 unannounced games, which was later confirmed as legitimate but potentially outdated. The leak included several Square Enix titles that have since been announced or released, such as the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC. However, both the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics, also listed in the leak, have yet to be officially announced. Additionally, a few months prior to the Nvidia leak, in June 2021, reports surfaced about a Final Fantasy 9 animated series in development, though no further updates have been provided since.