Final Fantasy IX Remake Was Reportedly Planned as One Game Before Stalling
The unconfirmed claim says the smaller-scope project had progressed very far before its work stopped, though it could still be revisited.
A Final Fantasy IX Remake was reportedly planned as a single game rather than a multi-part project, and development had progressed very far before the project stalled. The claim was attributed to veteran games journalist Alex Donaldson.
The reported plan called for a smaller-scope remake that could tell the full story in one release, unlike the multi-game structure used for Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Alex Donaldson/APZonerunner: Final Fantasy IX Remake was real, planned as a single game, and very far along, but has now stalled
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The rumor first became widely known through an Nvidia database leak and has since received occasional updates from sources outside Square Enix.
The project was said to be very far along at one point, but it eventually stopped moving forward for reasons that were not explained. The work may still exist in a form that could be revisited, although there is no confirmation that development has resumed.
Square Enix’s plans can change, so the project should not be treated as permanently ruled out. The new mobile Dissidia game is one example of those changing plans; it was reportedly considered canceled for more than a year before being revived. Existing work on the Final Fantasy IX remake could remain available if the company chose to return to it.
A revival reportedly appeared less likely after Square Enix released illustrations created as potential box art and key art for the game’s 25th anniversary. The release made the remake seem inactive, even if some of its earlier work remained.
The single-game approach would also contrast with recent comments from Naoki Yoshida. During a Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest panel, and as covered in our report on Yoshida’s remake comments, he said remaking Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VIII, or Final Fantasy IX at the scale of Final Fantasy VII Remake could require four or five installments.
Square Enix has not confirmed that the Final Fantasy IX remake existed, that it reached advanced development, or that it was canceled. For now, the project remains an unverified rumor with a tantalizingly simple reported design: one game, one complete adventure, and no multi-part wait.
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