Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary Site Fuels Switch 2 Remake Speculation

Fresh excitement surrounds the long-rumored Final Fantasy 9 remake as Square Enix unveils an official 25th Anniversary website for the beloved game.

The Japanese-language site highlights the original release date of Final Fantasy 9 (July 7, 2000) and marks its 25th anniversary milestone this year.

“We’re working on exciting projects, including merchandise and collaborations, to celebrate the 25th anniversary—stay tuned!” the site states.

This subtle announcement, paired with the launch of the anniversary website, has ignited speculation that Square Enix may soon unveil the eagerly awaited Final Fantasy 9 remake.

The website’s debut aligns with Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2-focused Direct on April 2, prompting fans to wonder if Square Enix will announce a Final Fantasy 9 remake for the new console. Many are hopeful for such a reveal.

However, the news could amount to little. While the site mentions merchandise and collaborations, the phrase “various projects” has sparked widespread curiosity.

Last year, Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida shared insights on a potential Final Fantasy 9 remake, cautioning that its scope might be too vast for a single game.

“Final Fantasy 9 has immense content,” Yoshi-P noted. “Given its scale, I question whether it can be remade as one title. It’s a complex challenge.”

Yoshi-P hinted that a Final Fantasy 9 remake might follow the multi-part approach of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, currently unfolding as a trilogy.

In early 2024, Yoshi-P revealed Final Fantasy 9-themed bonuses for the Collector’s Edition and Digital Collector’s Edition of Final Fantasy 14’s Dawntrail expansion, including the Ark summon as a mount and a wind-up Princess Garnet minion (Garnet, also known as Dagger, is a key character in Final Fantasy 9). Pre-ordering Dawntrail also granted a wind-up Zidane minion, the game’s protagonist.

Speaking at PAX East during the reveal of these bonuses, Yoshi-P teased, “You’ve likely noticed the many Final Fantasy 9 references here, but I’ll keep the reason under wraps.” He playfully mimed zipping his lips.

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Rumors of a Final Fantasy 9 remake have persisted since its inclusion in a 2021 Nvidia leak of unannounced titles. Though Nvidia confirmed the leak’s authenticity, the list may be outdated. It featured several Square Enix projects, some now released or announced, like the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC. Yet, Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics, also on the list, remain unconfirmed. In June 2021, reports surfaced of a Final Fantasy 9 animated series in development, but no updates have followed.