FF14 Collab Does Not A FF9 Remake Make, Says Director

Final Fantasy XIV's producer and director recently addressed persistent rumors about a potential Final Fantasy IX remake. Let's delve into his statement.

FF14's Yoshi-P Dispels FF9 Remake Speculation

No Link Between FF14 Collaboration and a Potential FF9 Remake

Naoki Yoshida, the acclaimed producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV, recently put to rest speculation linking the recent FF14 collaboration event with a possible Final Fantasy IX remake. The collaboration, featuring numerous references to the beloved 1999 RPG, fueled fan theories of an impending remake announcement.

Yoshida clarified that the FF14 event was entirely independent of any FF9 remake plans. In an interview with JPGames, he explained, "The original concept for Final Fantasy XIV is that it serves as a theme park for the Final Fantasy franchise. We wanted to incorporate Final Fantasy IX because of that." He stressed that the collaboration's timing was unrelated to 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 acknowledged the understandable marketing-driven speculation surrounding the event.

Despite this, Yoshida's enthusiasm for FF9 is evident. He admitted, "But of course, in our development team, we have a lot of staff who are huge fans of Final Fantasy IX." He highlighted the sheer scale of the original game, stating, "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 resonated with fans who appreciated the numerous FF9 references within FF14's Dawntrail expansion.

While the interview dashed hopes for an immediate remake announcement, Yoshida offered a hopeful closing statement: "I think potentially if any team was to take on doing a remake for Final Fantasy IX," he chuckled, "I would wish them the best of luck."

In conclusion, rumors of a Final Fantasy IX remake remain just that—rumors. Fans eagerly awaiting a remake will have to content themselves with the plentiful FF9 references in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, or continue to patiently await future announcements.