It may not be official yet that a Final Fantasy 9 remake is on its way, but that announcement is only a matter of time. First spotted in the often-accurate Nvidia GeForce Now leak, a Final Fantasy 9 remake has been the topic of confirmation and cancelation rumors for several years running. Early rumors even claimed it would launch alongside a cartoon, but no matter how much buzz was made about it, official word from Square Enix never came. As one of the last holdouts from the Nvidia leak alongside Final Fantasy Tactics, an announcement feels long overdue.

Fortunately, fans may not have to wait much longer, as another confirmation of the remake's existence has leaked. In the process of a third-party establishing a database for the Epic Games Store, part of the store’s backend became publicly visible for a short period. Among the few identifiable games found in the leaked listings was something codenamed Momo, which had an “Early Purchase Bonus Tetra Master Starter Pack” listed among its pre-order bonuses. That can only point to a Final Fantasy 9 remake, so assuming the project is still forthcoming, now is the perfect window to imagine what an ideal FF9 remake would be.

Final Fantasy 9 Final Fantasy 7 Remake
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If Final Fantasy 9 Remake is Real, It Should Pull Sparingly From FF7 Remake

A Final Fantasy 9 Remake mentioned in the Nvidia leak would be interesting, but should be picky about what it takes from Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Final Fantasy 9 Deserves A Modernized Presentation

FF9's high fantasy art style and well-made models ensure that it's still a looker today, and it can be enjoyed at high resolutions thanks to the last Final Fantasy 9 remaster's Moguri mod. However, expectations for a remake’s presentation are much higher than simply looking clean. Replacing all the assets with new 3D ones is almost a given, but keeping the old camera angles to stick with FF9's original art direction as closely as possible would be appreciated. A reorchestrated soundtrack and full voice acting would ensure that the Final Fantasy 9 remake is the full package, presentation-wise.

FF9’s Tetra Master Needs A Remake

Final Fantasy IX Tetra Master

Rebuilding the core gameplay shouldn't be the Final Fantasy 9 remake's top priority, but rather revising its Tetra Master card game. Tetra Master inherently suffers from being “not-Triple Triad,” measuring up to Final Fantasy 8’s more popular minigame poorly, but it's also poor in the first place. In summary, Tetra Master is frustrating because random chance trumps skilled play, and players are forced to attend a Tetra Master tournament to rub salt in the wound. Now that Square Enix has proven itself with minigames like FF14’s revised Triple Triad and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s surprise-hit Queen’s Blood, fans should expect a full remake of Tetra Master that puts the original to shame.

Final Fantasy 9’s Main Party Should Be Developed More

Final Fantasy 9’s charming characters and setting are remembered fondly, but the way FF9 treats its protagonists might make one question that. The playable party splits up often throughout FF9, and the Active Time Events that help players keep up with everyone gradually fade out. As a consequence, everyone but Zidane, Garnet, and Vivi end up with character arcs that feel varying degrees of unfinished, and Quina and Amarant barely get any development at all. Tightening th game up, as well as rebalancing the cast’s abilities, should help make FF9 shine even brighter.

The FF9 Endgame Could Use Some Expansion

final fantasy 9 trance kuja boss battle

Besides Tetra Master, it's commonly agreed that the weakest part of Final Fantasy 9 is its ending. From FF9’s infamous sin of not foreshadowing its final boss to the initial fights against three of the Chaos Guardians being cut despite all four becoming bosses later, the end of Disc 3 and all of Disc 4 are full of holes. A remake presents the chance to fill these, and new content could be added, like an actual fight against Gilgamesh or the ability to recruit Beatrix as a party member. No matter how it does it, this remake should take every chance to make itself the definitive version of Final Fantasy 9.