A Final Fantasy remake that leaked years ago is now reportedly in danger of never releasing. Near the start of this console generation, multiple leaks and reports claimed that Square Enix was in the process of remaking Final Fantasy 9. While never outright confirmed, Square Enix itself had even dropped hints and teases about the game getting a remake at some point in the future, which made it seem like its eventual reveal was a foregone conclusion. Sadly, new info on this FF9 remake has now come about, and it sounds as though the project may never see the light of day.
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According to reporter Alex Donaldson (shared via ResetEra), Square Enix’s remake of Final Fantasy 9 is said to have been halted internally. Donaldson didn’t share many specifics on why work on the remake has reached a standstill, but he stated that it was a single title that wouldn’t be released in multiple parts, like has been seen with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. The report added that development on Final Fantasy 9 Remake was also “very far along,” which makes Square Enix’s decision to put the title on ice somewhat confusing.
Originally released in 2000, Final Fantasy 9 was the last mainline entry in the series to launch on PS1 platforms. While it’s perhaps overshadowed by other Final Fantasy installments, it has become one of the more beloved games in the RPG saga. For it to have been remade would have greatly improved its visuals and gameplay, while also allowing an entire new generation of fans to play it for the first time.
Moving forward, it’s not known if Square Enix will look to return to this Final Fantasy 9 remake or not. Donaldson said that such a possibility does exist, but added that Square Enix as a whole is looking to shift away from tapping into its older Final Fantasy titles after it releases Final Fantasy 7 Revelation in 2027. This will seemingly lead to Square Enix putting a larger emphasis on brand-new Final Fantasy games, which is something that fans of the series have requested in droves over the past few years. Still, if this shift in strategy for Square Enix results in the publisher outright canceling the remake of Final Fantasy 9, such a trade-off is one that most fans likely won’t be thrilled about.
If nothing else, though, the original Final Fantasy 9 still holds up relatively well and is available across nearly all modern platforms. Square Enix re-released the game across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo hardware within the past decade, which means that you can pick it up and play it right now if you haven’t before with ease.
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Image Courtesy of Nintendo
