Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary Site Hints at Switch 2 Remake Reveal

The excitement surrounding the long-rumored Final Fantasy 9 remake has been reignited with the launch of an official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website by Square Enix. The site, which is in Japanese, commemorates the game's initial release on July 7, 2000, and highlights its milestone 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 proclaims. This seemingly innocuous statement, along with the existence of the anniversary website itself, has fueled speculation among fans that Square Enix might finally unveil the much-anticipated 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 stirred considerable excitement and speculation about what else Square Enix might have in store.

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 substantial volume, questioning whether it could be remade as a single title. Yoshi-P hinted that a Final Fantasy 9 remake might follow the format of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is planned as a trilogy.

In early 2024, Yoshi-P announced 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 in Final Fantasy 14, and a wind-up Princess Garnet minion. Pre-orders of Dawntrail also came with a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P playfully hinted at the abundance of Final Fantasy 9 references, stating, "You may have noticed a lot of Final Fantasy 9 references here, but the reason is a secret,” before zipping his mouth shut.

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Rumors about a Final Fantasy 9 remake have persisted since a 2021 Nvidia leak revealed a list of unannounced games, including several Square Enix titles that have since been confirmed or released, 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 mentioned in the leak, 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 no further updates have been provided since then.