FFXIV Collaboration Dispels Rumors of FF9 Remake

Final Fantasy XIV's director, Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P), recently addressed speculation linking the recent FFXIV collaboration event with a potential Final Fantasy IX remake. The collaboration, featuring nods to FFIX within the Dawntrail expansion, fueled fan theories about an imminent remake announcement.

Yoshida dispelled these rumors, clarifying the collaboration's independent nature. In an interview with JPGames, he explained that FFXIV's design is to serve as a "theme park" for the Final Fantasy franchise, and including FFIX elements was a natural fit within this concept. The timing, he emphasized, was unrelated to any ongoing FFIX remake project. He explicitly stated that the decision to incorporate FFIX elements wasn't driven by marketing strategies related to a potential remake.

While acknowledging the development team's love for FFIX and understanding the fan excitement, Yoshida highlighted the sheer scale of FFIX. He pointed out the immense undertaking a remake would represent, suggesting that waiting for a hypothetical remake project to then incorporate FFIX elements into FFXIV would be impractical. This sentiment resonated with fans who appreciated the FFIX homage within Dawntrail.

Although the interview dashed hopes for an immediate FFIX remake announcement, Yoshida concluded with a supportive message, wishing any future team undertaking such a project the best of luck.

In short, the FFXIV collaboration is a standalone event, and the possibility of an FFIX remake remains purely speculative. Fans eager for a remake will have to content themselves with the FFXIV references, or patiently await future announcements.