Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary Sparks Speculation on Switch 2 Remake Reveal

The excitement surrounding a potential Final Fantasy 9 remake has been reignited with Square Enix's launch of the official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website. The site, entirely in Japanese, celebrates the game's original release date on July 7, 2000, and marks its 25th anniversary this year.

"We are preparing various projects, including merchandise and collaborations to commemorate the 25th anniversary, so please look forward to it!" the website declares. This seemingly simple announcement, along with the existence of the anniversary site itself, has fueled speculation among fans that Square Enix might finally unveil the long-awaited 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 could 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 significant interest and speculation. Last year, Final Fantasy 14 producer Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida discussed what a Final Fantasy 9 remake might entail, suggesting that the game's extensive content might not fit into a single title. He hinted that it could follow the model of the 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 Ark summon from Final Fantasy 9 as a mount in Final Fantasy 14, a wind-up Princess Garnet minion, and a wind-up Zidane minion for those who pre-ordered Dawntrail. During PAX East, Yoshi-P teased the inclusion of these Final Fantasy 9 references but playfully kept the reason a secret.

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3 ImagesRumors of a Final Fantasy 9 remake have been circulating since a 2021 Nvidia leak revealed a list of unannounced games, including titles that Square Enix has since released or announced. Although the list, confirmed by Nvidia, might be outdated, it included the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics, neither of which have been released yet. Additionally, 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.