Square Enix has delisted Final Fantasy 9, but before Final Fantasy fans panic it's only in a very limited capacity. Specifically, Final Fantasy 9 has been removed from the Amazon App Store. All other versions of Final Fantasy 9 remain available and there's no indication that's going to change anytime soon. Even the situation with the Amazon App Store isn't permanent, as Square Enix plans to return Final Fantasy 9 to the storefront in time.Final Fantasy 9 was originally released in 2000, the last Final Fantasy game released on the original PlayStation console. Since then, Final Fantasy 9 has built a cult following but has fallen in the shadow of the more popular Final Fantasy games released before and after it. Square Enix has still done its due diligence in keeping Final Fantasy 9 available, though. It may not be the seller that Final Fantasy 7 or Final Fantasy 10 are, but Square Enix still appears to know it's beloved and so makes it available across many different platforms.Given its age, it's perhaps understandable that Final Fantasy 9 doesn't run perfectly on every system it's released on. Even if it's been updated relatively recently for mobile platforms, it's not like a modernized remake has been released. But that hopefully provides context for why Final Fantasy 9 launched on the Amazon App Store with significant technical issues. And also why Square Enix has now pulled Final Fantasy 9 from the Amazon App Store as it fixes those issues.
In an explanation shared online, Square Enix says that Final Fantasy 9's Amazon App Store version didn't allow players to save their game through cloud saving. Given that saving the game is especially important in a game as long as Final Fantasy 9, Square Enix decided it wasn't in a playable state. It can no longer be purchased.
Square Enix is currently working on a fix for the Amazon App Store version of Final Fantasy 9. While it's working on that fix, Final Fantasy 9 will remain unavailable on the storefront. Again, Final Fantasy 9 is still available on every other platform. It's only the Amazon App Store version that's impacted. Once the fix has been finished and tested, Square Enix will return Final Fantasy 9 to the Amazon App Store. No timeline has been made available for Final Fantasy 9's return, as of yet.
In the meantime, those that purchased Final Fantasy 9 on the Amazon App Store will continue to have access to the game. The cloud save functionality will not be available, understandably. It's an unusual step to fully remove the game, but Square Enix must have felt like this was the best solution for players and for the game. Given there are rumors of a Final Fantasy 9 remake being in development, Square Enix very likely wants to avoid as much controversy as it can.
Final Fantasy 9 is available on PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices.