Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary Site Sparks Rumors of Switch 2 Remake Reveal

The excitement surrounding a potential Final Fantasy 9 remake has surged once again, fueled by Square Enix's launch of an official 25th Anniversary website for the beloved game. The site, which is in Japanese, commemorates the game's original release date of July 7, 2000, and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It teases fans with promises of "various projects, including merchandise and collaborations," sparking speculation that an announcement about the long-awaited remake might be imminent.

The timing of the website's launch has not gone unnoticed, especially with Nintendo set to host a Switch 2-focused Direct on April 2. Many fans are hopeful that Square Enix might seize this opportunity to unveil the Final Fantasy 9 remake for the new console. While the website's mention of merchandise and collaborations might seem innocuous, the phrase "various projects" has certainly set the rumor mill into overdrive.

Last year, Final Fantasy 14 producer Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida hinted at what a Final Fantasy 9 remake might entail, suggesting that due to the game's expansive nature, it might not fit into a single title. He drew comparisons to the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is being released as a trilogy, indicating that a similar approach might be considered for Final Fantasy 9.

Adding fuel to the fire, earlier in 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 iconic Ark summon as a mount and a wind-up Princess Garnet minion, with pre-orders also receiving a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P playfully teased the abundance of Final Fantasy 9 references, hinting at a "secret" reason behind them.

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Rumors about a Final Fantasy 9 remake have been circulating since a 2021 Nvidia leak, which listed unannounced games and included several Square Enix titles. While some of those games have since been released or announced, such as the Chrono Cross remaster, Kingdom Hearts 4, and the Final Fantasy 7 remake for PC, the Final Fantasy 9 remake and Final Fantasy Tactics remain elusive. Additionally, a Final Fantasy 9 animated series was reported to be in development back in June 2021, though no updates have emerged since.