Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary Site Sparks Switch 2 Remake Rumors

The buzz around the long-awaited Final Fantasy 9 remake has intensified following Square Enix's launch of an official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website. The site, which is in Japanese, highlights the original game's release date of July 7, 2000, and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It teases fans with the promise of "various projects, including merchandise and collaborations," sparking speculation about the possibility of a remake announcement.

The timing of the website's launch has not gone unnoticed, especially with Nintendo's Switch 2-focused Direct scheduled for April 2. Many fans are hopeful that Square Enix might use this platform to unveil the 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 fueled rumors and excitement among the community.

Last year, Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, discussed the potential scope of a Final Fantasy 9 remake. He noted the game's "huge volume" and questioned whether it could be remade as a single title, suggesting it might follow the multi-part approach seen with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is currently in the midst of a planned 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. Pre-orders of Dawntrail also came with 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 anticipation.

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 While Nvidia confirmed the leak's authenticity, the list might be outdated.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 surfaced since then.