Chatter around a Final Fantasy 9 remake is once again growing loud, as franchise fans debate the significance of a new FF9 25th anniversary video released by Square Enix. As posted on social media, the video is a highlight reel of cutscenes from the beloved game, set to a fresh recording of game theme song, ‘Melodies of Life.’
‘Final Fantasy IX celebrates its 25th anniversary on this year!’ the video description reads. It joins an array of other small, celebratory tidbits from Square Enix that dance around a possible remake.
To date, the studio has released new art and character illustrations as part of its celebrations, as well as announcing a 70% off sale for the ported version of the game, a fan art project (with submissions ending in October), a picture book (releasing in May 2026), a special anniversary vinyl including a collection of original tracks and newly-recorded versions of these tracks, various figures and standees, and a calendar.
Essentially, Square Enix has announced everything but a remake or remaster, despite fans calling for the game to get the modern treatment for nearly a decade. What’s most notable about the absence of a remake amongst SE’s latest announcements is that one is seemingly in development, and has been for some time.
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In 2021, an Nvidia GeForce Now database breach revealed a number of games that were in development, with most being unannounced. While at the time, the legitimacy of the list was called into question, in subsequent years, many of the games listed turned out to be real. That includes a PC version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and the recently-announced Final Fantasy Tactics remaster.
Amongst this list was an entry for a Final Fantasy 9 remake that’s yet to appear in any form.
Now, this leak does come with a caveat, that many of the listed titles were seemingly speculative, and some have since been cancelled (including Xbox Game Studios’ Perfect Dark reboot). But with so many of these titles turning out to be real, it would be fair to assume the Final Fantasy 9 remake was in development at some point, or that it (hopefully) remains in development.
The real question is when or whether Square Enix will actually confirm its existence.
The long-rumoured announcement for the Final Fantasy 9 remake could arrive later this year, but it does feel odd not to include it alongside the other big anniversary items. It’s nice to see the game celebrated, of course, but fans have long waited for news of what’s going on, particularly given nearly every other Final Fantasy game has been given the remake or remaster treatment in recent years.
For now, those keen for more news will simply have to stay patient. There’s every chance Square Enix will still announce an FF9 remake in future – the entire year serves as the game’s 25th anniversary, after all – but we’ll just have to stay on our toes to see whether an official announcement is on the way.
