Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida has teased the possibility of a Final Fantasy IX remake being in development.
During the the Final Fantasy XIV panel at Pax East 2024, producer Naoki Yoshida teased the possible existence of a Final Fantasy IX remake. He revealed that those who pre-order the Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail expansion will receive a miniature version of Final Fantas IX’s protagonist, Zidane, as an adventuring companion.
Yoshida mentioned that fans may have noticed a lot of Final Fantasy IX references at the panel, though he added that the reason behind it is a secret. This is the first time a key figure from Square Enix has hinted at a Final Fantasy IX remake being in development.
Rumors regarding a Final Fantasy IX remake first emerged via an elaborate Nvidia GeForce Now leak, which leaked the existence of several unannounced projects. Later, Final Fantasy IX character designer Toshiyuki Itahana revealed that he had been working on a character illustration for an unannounced game that was in the middle of development, and, therefore, he couldn’t reveal or talk about what it is.
Subsequently, Reset Era member Head on the Block, known as Im a Hero Too at the time, stated that, at the time, the Final Fantasy IX remake was at least 2 years away from release, and would be a PlayStation exclusive at launch. They also claimed to have seen footage of the unannounced remake.
Furthermore, Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb had stated that the rumored Final Fantasy IX remake is real and that it will retain the classic turn-based combat seen in the original. He mentioned that it would not be as ambitious a remake as Final Fantasy VII Remake. In terms of ambition, he categorized the project as being somewhere between Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
