The producer and director of Final Fantasy 14, Naoki Yoshida, has recently addressed the swirling rumors about a potential remake of Final Fantasy 9. This clarification comes in the wake of a collaboration event in FF14 that featured nods to the beloved 1999 Japanese role-playing game, sparking speculation among fans that it might signal an upcoming FF9 remake announcement.

FF14’s Yoshi-P Shuts Down FF9 Remake Rumors

No Connection Between FF14 Collaboration and FF9 Remake, Says Yoshida

Naoki Yoshida, the highly respected producer and director of Final Fantasy 14, recently tackled the ongoing rumors about a possible Final Fantasy 9 remake. This follows the FF14 collaboration event, where he hinted at deeper reasons behind Dawntrail's references to the cherished game from 1999.

Online theories suggested that the FF14 event might be a precursor to a remake announcement. However, Yoshida firmly dismissed these speculations, underlining the standalone nature of the collaboration.

"The original concept that we had for Final Fantasy XIV is that it serves as a theme park for the Final Fantasy franchise," Yoshida explained in an interview with JPGames. "We wanted to incorporate Final Fantasy IX because of that."

He clarified that the timing of the collaboration was not influenced by any potential remake project. "We had never thought about doing Final Fantasy IX in relation to any sort of Final Fantasy IX Remake—we had never thought about it in that commercial sense," he stated, acknowledging the marketing logic behind such speculation.

Despite no connection between the FF14 event and a remake, Yoshida's passion for FF9 is evident. "But of course in our development team as well, we have a lot of staff who are huge fans of Final Fantasy IX," he admitted.

He highlighted the extensive content in the original game, noting, "as you know—Final Fantasy IX has [a] huge volume, it's a big game. If we were to wait for any sort of Remake project, we would just be waiting and waiting and we would be thinking: 'When would we be able to incorporate that essence of Final Fantasy IX and make our homage?'" This sentiment struck a chord with fans, who appreciated the subtle and overt references to FF9 within FF14.

While the interview may have dashed hopes for an immediate remake announcement, Yoshida's closing remarks offered a glimmer of hope. "I think potentially if any team was to take on doing a remake for Final Fantasy IX," he said with a chuckle, "I would wish them the best of luck."

For now, rumors of an upcoming Final Fantasy 9 remake remain just that: rumors. Fans eager for a remake will have to content themselves with the numerous references in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail or practice patience until further news emerges.