Final Fantasy 9 is one of the most beloved entries in the long-running JRPG series. It comes from the PS1 era of games that started with Final Fantasy 7, which really caused the series to blow up in the West. As a result, Final Fantasy 9 has garnered a devoted fanbase in the 22 years since its release. As is the case with most older games, fans have been hoping for a remake of FF9 for years.
Well, a Final Fantasy 9 remake is more likely than ever. The current era of gaming involves countless remake and reboots, and the Final Fantasy series is no exception. Beyond this, there is the massive Nvidia leak which lists the FF9 remake as a possibility, and the leak is gaining credibility by the day. There may still be a wait until the remake is released or even announced, though Final Fantasy 9 fans should stay hopeful as multiple signs are pointing towards it happening.
Final Fantasy's Stance on Remakes
The Final Fantasy series is highly accessible, with even the oldest games in the 35-year-old series playable on modern consoles. Despite this, Square Enix has not been shy about remaking and remastering the series' mainline entries. Most recently, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection has released.
The Pixel Remaster is a complete visual and audio overhaul of the first six Final Fantasy games, released for Android, iOS, and Steam. All six games have been remastered to be consistent with one another, serving as an easy way for new fans of the series to jump in and experience a sense of familiarity while playing. Most importantly, the stories of these games remain untouched, although some Final Fantasy remasters have other small changes.
This kind of remaster would do wonders for Final Fantasy 9, though obviously not in a pixel style since the original contains 3D models. Remastering the game with new models and upscaled textures would be enough to bring in new and old players alike, all while keeping the story consistent with the original. That being said, Square Enix's other recent remake endeavor has not been afraid to stray from its source material.
Final Fantasy 9 Through the Lens of FF7 Remake
Square Enix's largest remake is undoubtedly the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. This game is a fully modern re-imagining of the 1997 title, complete with beautiful new visuals and an action-oriented combat system. The game is filled to the brim with small details and surprises for fans of the original, though many fans are upset with how the game's story is handled.
For starters, Final Fantasy 7 Remake expands the first few hours — the Midgar section — of the original into a 40-hour game. This pacing is nice in terms of expanding on initially minor characters and locations, but seems wholly impossible to keep up for the remaining parts of the remake (unless fans can maintain interest for 20 years). On top of this, Final Fantasy 7 Remake changes the story. Some fans really have a problem with this — a remake should retell the whole story, not just the beginning and then throw the rest on its head.
The potential Final Fantasy 9 remake must tread carefully if Square Enix decides to go this route. Final Fantasy 9's characters and world of Gaia are beloved, so fans would be thrilled to see them fully modernized in the style of FF7 Remake. That said, drastically changing the story again, or splitting the game into parts separated with years of waiting, are easy ways to make the interest fizzle out.
Either way, Square Enix clearly shows no signs of stopping when it comes to remakes of the older Final Fantasy games — consistent to the originals or not. As such, it seems inevitable that Final Fantasy 9 will receive the same treatment.
Final Fantasy 9 and the Nvidia Leak
There is one other sign pointing toward the Final Fantasy 9 remake, and this one is gaining more credibility by the day. Back in October, there was an Nvidia GeForce Now data leak which contained a massive list of unannounced games and sequels that are currently in development for PC. On this list, of course, is the Final Fantasy 9 remake.
This leak has been gaining more and more credibility, as multiple games listed have come to fruition. Games like God of War and the Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection have come to PC, and the Chrono Cross Remaster was announced and released. Most recently, Kingdom Hearts 4 was announced with a stunning gameplay trailer. The list of confirmed games keeps growing, so it seems inevitable that it will catch up to the Final Fantasy 9 remake at some point soon.
Assuming the Nvidia leak is true, the Final Fantasy 9 remake is all but confirmed for a PC release. That does not necessarily mean that console owners will miss out, though. Some listed games, like the aforementioned Chrono Cross Remaster and the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy, shared both PC and console releases. While this is still just a rumor, it seems awfully credible. Only time will tell if the Final Fantasy 9 remake is real, though.
It is currently more likely than ever that Final Fantasy 9 will receive a remake. Remakes are a constant in the current era of gaming, with nearly all the older Final Fantasy games getting one in one way or another. On top of this, the Nvidia leak strongly indicates that it is happening. Hopefully the Final Fantasy 9 remake rumors are true so more players can experience the world of Gaia.
Final Fantasy 9 is available on Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS1, PS3, PS4, and Xbox One.