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

The buzz around the long-awaited Final Fantasy 9 remake has been reignited following Square Enix's launch of an official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website. The site, exclusively in Japanese, marks the game's original release date of July 7, 2000, and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It teases fans with a message stating, "We are preparing various projects, including merchandise and collaborations to commemorate the 25th anniversary, so please look forward to it!" This seemingly innocent announcement, coupled with the website's creation, has fueled speculation that Square Enix might finally unveil the much-anticipated Final Fantasy 9 remake.

The timing of the website's launch has not gone unnoticed by fans, especially with Nintendo gearing up for a Switch 2-focused Direct on April 2. Many are speculating that Square Enix could announce the Final Fantasy 9 remake for the Switch 2 during this event, heightening the excitement and anticipation.

However, it's important to temper expectations. While the website mentions merchandise and collaborations, the vague reference to "various projects" has sparked widespread discussion and hope among fans. Last year, Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, discussed the potential challenges of remaking Final Fantasy 9. He noted, "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. 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." Yoshi-P hinted that a Final Fantasy 9 remake might follow the format of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is being released as a 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 the iconic Ark summon from Final Fantasy 9 as a mount in Final Fantasy 14 and a wind-up Princess Garnet minion. Pre-orders of Dawntrail also included a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P playfully hinted at the abundance of Final Fantasy 9 references, saying, "You may have noticed a lot of Final Fantasy 9 references here, but the reason is a secret,” before miming zipping his mouth shut.

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Rumors of a Final Fantasy 9 remake have been circulating since the game appeared in a 2021 Nvidia leak of unannounced titles. Nvidia confirmed the leak's authenticity, though it may be outdated. The list included several Square Enix games 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, the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics, also listed, remain unreleased. Just before 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.