Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary Sparks Rumors of Switch 2 Remake Reveal

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

"We are preparing various projects, including merchandise and collaborations to commemorate the 25th anniversary, so please look forward to it!" the website announces. This seemingly innocuous statement, combined with the launch 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. Some enthusiasts are hopeful that Square Enix might announce the Final Fantasy 9 remake for the Switch 2 during this event.

While the website mentions merchandise and collaborations, the phrase "various projects" has sparked widespread excitement and speculation.

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 full remake might not fit into a single title. Yoshi-P hinted that the remake could follow the format of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is being released as a trilogy.

Earlier in 2024, Yoshi-P revealed 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 from Final Fantasy 9 as a mount and a wind-up Princess Garnet minion. Pre-orders of Dawntrail also come with a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P teased the presence of numerous Final Fantasy 9 references, playfully hinting at a secret behind them.

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3 ImagesRumors about a Final Fantasy 9 remake have been circulating since a 2021 Nvidia leak of unannounced games, which included titles like the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC. Although many of these titles have since been released or announced, the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics remain unconfirmed. Just months before the Nvidia leak, in June 2021, reports surfaced about a Final Fantasy 9 animated series in development, but no further updates have been provided since then.