The excitement surrounding the much-anticipated Final Fantasy 9 remake has been reignited following Square Enix's launch of the official Final Fantasy 9 25th Anniversary website. This Japanese-language site commemorates the game's original release on July 7, 2000, and highlights its 25th anniversary this year.

The website teases "various projects, including merchandise and collaborations" to celebrate this milestone, fueling 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 upcoming Switch 2-focused Direct scheduled for April 2. Some fans are hopeful that Square Enix might announce the Final Fantasy 9 remake for the Switch 2 during this event.

While the website's mention of merchandise and collaborations might seem routine, the phrase "various projects" has sparked intense speculation. Last year, Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 14, hinted at the complexities of remaking Final Fantasy 9. He noted the game's substantial volume, suggesting that a remake might not fit into a single title, similar to the approach taken with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is part of a planned trilogy.

Adding to the buzz, earlier in 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, with pre-orders receiving a wind-up Zidane minion. During PAX East, Yoshi-P playfully hinted at the abundance of Final Fantasy 9 references, suggesting there might be more to come.

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Rumors of a Final Fantasy 9 remake have been circulating since the game appeared in a 2021 Nvidia leak of upcoming titles. Although Nvidia confirmed the legitimacy of the list, it may be outdated. The list included several Square Enix games that have since been announced 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, remain unconfirmed. Additionally, a Final Fantasy 9 animated series was reported to be in development in June 2021, but no further updates have been provided since.