With artwork teases, database leaks, and a growing pile of hints, fans are convinced that the Final Fantasy IX remake is real—and closer than we think.
It’s likely that the Nvidia GeForce Now leak will become one of the most famous leaks in the history of video games. That’s not going too far. It listed a lot of titles that hadn’t been announced yet, and a lot of them turned out to be real. But Final Fantasy IX Remake and Final Fantasy Tactics Remastered were still hard to find.
Final Fantasy IX Remake is the only big game that hasn’t been released yet. Even though Square Enix hasn’t said it yet, proof is mounting faster than Vivi can run away from existential fear.
To be honest, there is no such thing as a fake game showing up in two separate internal leaks. The Epic Games Store database now has Final Fantasy IX Remake and pre-order bonuses like a Tetra Master Starter Pack, Thieves Knives, and even a Cuisine Set. This was after the Nvidia leak. For a hoax, you don’t make up that much information. There’s more cooking going on than just the food in that digital set.
That’s right, this Final Fantasy IX remake does exist. The real question is when Square Enix will finally show it. Square Enix’s official Final Fantasy X account just posted new art by Toshiyuki Itahana, who designed the characters in the first Final Fantasy. To honor the game’s 25th anniversary, the picture shows the whole main cast gazing at the Iifa Tree. It’s beautiful. Seriously, you might not have a soul if the panel with Vivi and Steiner doesn’t give you chills.
They also put up another picture of Kuja at the Iifa Tree. This isn’t “concept art” for the remake, but it does look like it was coded for the remake. The modern look and small changes to the designs make it seem like there is more going on here than just nostalgia.
To keep things interesting, Square also collaborated with a unique mobile game. Both Zidane and Vivi got new character models that look great. You can even hear brand-new Japanese voice clips. Zidane’s voice sounds like the actor who played him in Dissidia, and Vivi’s voice sounds just like the one he had in World of Final Fantasy.
If this isn’t pre-remake marketing dressed up as mobile promo, then it’s a lot of work for a one-time collaboration. The calendar art was created by Yuya Ishihata, best known for his work on Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes, and The Phantom Pain. What interested the fans? What a cute Moogle sitting next to Monday, July 7.
Why does that matter? Anyway, Final Fantasy IX first came out in Japan on July 7, 2000. After the calendar was released and Square Enix began promoting materials for the game’s 25th anniversary, people started to speculate that the big remake news would be announced on that date in 2025.
If you read this after July 7 and nothing happened, the answer is no; Square didn’t drop it. If they did, though, know that we called it. So here it is. You don’t just bring out a game like Final Fantasy IX Remake without a huge event. A shadow falls on a Monday? Please. You don’t just want FF fans in a happy circle on Reddit to know about it; you want everyone to know.
If this is being discussed, it must be on a grand scale. Think of The Game Awards or the Tokyo Game Show. Square Enix knows how to make a big impact when they want fans and regular people to take notice.
What’s stopping them now? A trustworthy leaker says that work on FF9 Remake is now complete. The game was first worked on by a studio called Zen, but Square Enix took it over to improve the graphics. He says the style looks a lot like the Memoria Project, a fan-made demo that used Unreal Engine 5 to make a very accurate remake of the beginning of FFIX. And, yes, some experts in the field did contribute to it.
To be honest, fans would riot if the real remake didn’t look as good as Memoria. It makes sense for the developers to take their time if they are making the graphics look as good as or better than that level of quality. But it also makes me wonder: if it’s done, where is it?
It seems likely that Square Enix planned to announce the remake this year, to coincide with the game’s 25th anniversary. That would explain why there is so much FF9 art, updated designs, and even merchandise that looks like it was meant to accompany an announcement but never came out.
That brings up another point: when Midori said “development is complete,” he also said that Square had begun improving the graphics earlier this year. That being said, “complete” might actually mean “technically done, but getting a next-gen makeover.” That would explain the wait.
We may be making too much of a rumor. Okay, but really? Unlike most “trust me bro” leaks, this one carries more weight. The Game Awards in December are the most likely place for Square Enix to try to make Final Fantasy IX Remake a big hit. It has the audience, the power, and the platform to make the internet go crazy.
