A Remake of Final Fantasy 9 Seems Closer to Reality Than Ever Before

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy IX and Square Enix has announced some celebration plans for the PS1-era RPG. The publisher said it’s “preparing various projects,” including new figures of the main heroes that slightly alter their appearance. It’s enough to have long-time fans once again believing the perrenially rumored Final Fantasy IX remake is real.

“Zidane and Garnet from ‘Final Fantasy IX’ are now available in FORM-ISM!” the company announced today alongside a new soundtrack vinyl and other merch. “To commemorate the 25th anniversary, they have been recreated in a three-dimensional form with a reinterpretation of the texture of their costumes.”

Three-dimensional form? Reinterpretation of the texture of their costumes? Is this how both characters might look in an upcoming remake? That’s one theory among fans, thanks to ongoing speculation about the possible existence of such a remake that dates back to its appearance in the infamous 2021 Nvidia leak, the one that kept proving to be legit again and again.

Rumors that the game would soon be arriving on modern platforms in some new shape or form were reaffirmed when Final Fantasy IX appeared in an Epic Games Store backend leak just last June. And Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb has repeatedly said the game is real, but will be closer to a Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core remake than a full-blown overhaul.

Final Fantasy IX has a special place in many fans’ hearts for several reasons. It’s an incredible game for one. It was also the last entry on PS1, and the last before the series moved to a full 3D look and voice acting on the PS2. Most importantly, it was the last produced by creator Hironobu Sakaguchi before he left Square, and harkens back to the franchise’s more traditional, medieval roots. Also it features an adorable black mage named Vivi.

In the past, Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida has been coy about the rumors. “Of course, I do know there are requests for Final Fantasy IX to be made, but when you think about Final Fantasy IX, it’s a game with huge volume,” he said last fall, appearing to pour cold water on the rumors. “When you think about all of that volume, I wonder if it’s possible to remake that as a single title. It’s a difficult one. It is a tough question.”

July 7 will be exactly 25 years since the game shipped and Square Enix hints that fans should expect to hear more announcements leading up to it. Maybe a sneak peek of the game itself at an upcoming PlayStation or Summer Game Fest showcase will be one of them. I hope the game arrives alongside a revised strategy guide.

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