‘Final Fantasy 9’ remake is reportedly “on ice”

The rumoured Final Fantasy 9 remake is reportedly “on ice” at Square Enix, according to leaker NateTheHate.

Final Fantasy 9 was originally released back in 2000. Set in the medieval fantasy world of Gaia, players take control of a ragtag group of heroes including  lovable rogue Zidane, feisty princess Garnet and plucky young mage Viviand to stop a war between different nations.

The game went on to sell more than 5.5million copies and remains one of the most beloved entries in the long-running Final Fantasy series. 

In 2021, a leak from Nvidia GeForce claimed a remake of Final Fantasy 9 was in the works from Square Enix and there have been plenty of hints that seemingly confirmed the rumour in the years that have followed. For example, pre-order bonuses for 2024’s Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail expansion featured a number of items inspired by Final Fantasy 9 with director Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida saying it was deliberate but “the reason is a secret”.

In February, industry insider Nate The Hate replied to a fan to say a remake of Final Fantasy 9 was still in “active development”, alongside a new version of 1997’s Final Fantasy Tactics. “Final Fantasy 9 remake isn’t expected to be released in 2025. Maybe we’ll see it launch in 2026,” he added.

However in a new post on X, the leaker has shared some bad news. “I have no new information [about the Final Fantasy 9 remake] to share. For now, I’d assume the game is on ice & the unknown is whether Square Enix will return to it or not,” he wrote.

Have no new information to share.

For now, I’d assume the game is on ice & the unknown is whether SqEx will return to it or not.

— NateTheHate2 (@NateTheHate2) October 17, 2025

In July, another leaker claimed that the remake “was in trouble & possibly cancelled” but he needed to “verify the info further.”

It comes after Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth (the second chapter of the three-part remake project) was met with lower than expected sales. “Profits unfortunately did not meet our expectations,” said Square Enix during a financial call in 2024, with 2023’s Final Fantasy 16 also underperforming.

To celebrate Final Fantasy 9’s 25th anniversary this year, developers Square Enix announced a range of new merch alongside an eight-hour livestream of the music from the game as well as a new vinyl release. The anniversary celebrations convinced many fans that an announcement about a remake was imminent, but the lack of news since backs up Nate The Hate’s report that the project is on ice.

In other news, gaming fans have praised addictive new puzzler Ball x Pit, comparing it to last year’s viral hit Balatro.