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.

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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.

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII remake project has been a massive undertaking, with the 1997 PSOne classic having been remade over the course of 10 years, two console generations and three entire games. In discussing the potential for other such remake projects similar to FFVII, series producer Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P) revealed why this likely would not be a great idea.

As transcribed / translated by Genki_JPN, Final Fantasy series producer Naoki Yoshida was asked about the prospects of remaking the likes of Final Fantasy 6, 8 or 9 following the conclusion of their work on FFVII. Explaining why this perhaps would not be the best idea, Yoshida stated:

“Of course I understand the feelings of the players, but you gotta think about it. Look at Final Fantasy VI, it's such an incredibly huge game. The scale is just immense. And the same applies for other titles like Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX. So of course now because you are working on the Final Fantasy VII series. I do get that people would be asking for Remakes of other titles. But if we did remake those other titles. We'd probably have to release them in 4 instalments or even 5 instalments.”

As mentioned, Final Fantasy VII’s remake has been a lifelong project for many, with a remake first being announced all the way back in the 2000s for the PS2 – though this ultimately never came to be. Then, a remake of the game’s intro cutscene was released in 2005 as part of the PlayStation 3’s marketing, further fueling desires for the project.
Of course, Final Fantasy VII Remake would eventually be officially announced for real this time during 2015’s iconic PlayStation E3 presentation.

Nearly 30 years on from the game’s original release – and almost as long since talks of a remake first popped up – the Final Fantasy VII Remake project is almost at an end. Given how long it's taken, it is perhaps best that the likes of FFVI, VIII or IX are seemingly not planned to be receiving a similar treatment.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the FFVII Remake trilogy? Would you like to see similar remakes for other entries in the franchise? Are you willing to wait a decade+ for them? Let us know down below.