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

The excitement surrounding the potential Final Fantasy 9 remake has been reignited following Square Enix's launch of an official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website. The site, available in Japanese, commemorates the game's original release date on July 7, 2000, and announces the celebration of 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 states. This seemingly simple announcement, coupled with the launch of the anniversary website, 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 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.

However, it's important to temper expectations, as the website only mentions merchandise and collaborations explicitly. The phrase "various projects" has sparked considerable speculation and excitement among the fanbase.

Last year, Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, discussed the potential challenges of remaking Final Fantasy 9. He highlighted the game's vast scope, suggesting that it might not fit into a single title. "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," Yoshi-P said. "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's comments hint that a Final Fantasy 9 remake could follow the model of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is being released as a planned trilogy.

In early 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 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 teased the presence 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 humorously zipping his mouth shut.

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Rumors of a Final Fantasy 9 remake have been circulating since a 2021 Nvidia leak revealed a list of unannounced games, including the Final Fantasy 9 remake. Nvidia confirmed the list's authenticity, though it might be outdated. The list included several Square Enix titles that have since been released or announced, such as the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC. However, both the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics, also on the leaked list, have yet to be officially announced. Just months before the Nvidia leak, in June 2021, reports surfaced about a Final Fantasy 9 animated series in development, though there have been no updates since.