The long-awaited Final Fantasy 9 remake could be released next year, according to industry insiders.
The original Final Fantasy 9 was released in 2000 and introduced gamers to beloved heroes such as lovable rogue Zidane, feisty princess Garnet and plucky young mage Vivi. Set in the medieval fantasy world of Gaia, players have to try and stop a war between nations.
Final Fantasy 9 went on to sell more than 5.5million copies while an updated version was launched onto the PlayStation store in 2010.
In 2021, a leak from Nvidia GeForce claimed a remake of Final Fantasy 9 was in the works from Square Enix. Since then, a number of rumours have made their way online but nothing concrete about a potential remake has ever been confirmed.
Over the weekend, industry insider Nate The Hate replied to a fan to say a remake of Final Fantasy 9 was still in “active development”, alongside a new version of 1997’s Final Fantasy Tactics. “Final Fantasy 9 remake isn’t expected to be released in 2025. Maybe we’ll see it launch in 2026,” he added.
Both remain in active development. FFIXR isn’t expected to see release in 2025. Maybe we’ll see it launch in 2026.
— NateTheHate2 (@NateTheHate2) February 9, 2025
Back in 2021, there were also reports that Final Fantasy 9 was being turned into an animated series. “The games have a strong co-viewing potential. For those who do know the game, this will be an [introduction],” said head of the show’s development Pierre Sissmann. “And for the many who don’t, this will immerse them in a universe they’ll love.”
More recently, Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida hinted that Square Enix were working on a Final Fantasy 9 remake.
Pre-order bonuses for last year’s Dawntrail expansion featured wind-up minions based on Final Fantasy 9’s main heroes Garnet and Zidane as well as FF9’s Ark Summon as a FF14 mount. “You may have noticed a lot of Final Fantasy 9 references here, but the reason is a secret,” Yoshida explained.
Square Enix are currently working on the third and final chapter in their ambitious Final Fantasy 7 remake project, with developers hoping to release the next game in 2027.
In other news, some gaming fans were able to get a hands-on taste of Elden Ring: Nightreign this weekend thanks to a network test – and it seems like there’s a lot to be excited about.
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