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The GeForce Now database leak a few years back revealed a ton of unannounced game projects, with one of the biggest being a Final Fantasy 9 Remake. Square Enix producers even hinted at the remake project a while back, but plans for the game appear to have been put on hold.
According to games journalist Alex Donaldson, the Final Fantasy 9 Remake project was indeed real. While the game wasn't officially announced during the game's 25th Anniversary celebration, it is claimed that updated artwork released during that time came directly from early work on the Final Fantasy IX Remake project. The images released included concept art with new designs for key main characters, as well as an updated key art that could have doubled as the cover for the game.
Donaldson said recent comments from Naoki Yoshida were a way for Square Enix to temper fan expectations after years of leaks, as the Final Fantasy 9 Remake project has been put on hold. It is also claimed that the 9 Remake was not going to be the same scope as Final Fantasy 7 Remake, sticking to a single, simpler game, rather than expanding the story out into a massive sprawling trilogy. Yoshida recently suggested that a Final Fantasy 9 Remake could require as many as 5 or 6 games to really feel complete.
It would seem that Square Enix had other big plans for Final Fantasy 9 as well. They had an animated series in the works, but that also ended up being halted.
It is worth noting though that while the big plans for Final Fantasy 9 may be on hold for the time being, Square Enix has been known to revisit ‘cancelled' projects. The next Final Fantasy Dissidia game for example was cancelled for a short while before being picked back up again and re-announced this year.
After Final Fantasy 7 Revelation releases in 2027, it is expected that the next major Final Fantasy game will be Final Fantasy 17, rather than another remake or spin-off.
KitGuru Says: Personally, if we are going to see more remakes, I would prefer to see HD-2D versions of the older pixel-based games in the series, or perhaps a reimagining of Chrono Trigger.
