2023 is set to be a huge year for Square Enix's Final Fantasy series with the long-anticipated release of Final Fantasy 16, upcoming titles like the console ports of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series and Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line, and even the possible release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Despite all the confirmed projects Square Enix has to talk about regarding the series in 2023, just recently the publisher teased that there is one big Final Fantasy announcement yet to come that is disconnected from any of the previously announced titles.
While there are plenty of possibilities for what this could be, a major video game industry leak from 2021 has given a major indication of some beloved Final Fantasy titles that could be making a comeback very soon. So far, multiple Square Enix titles that appeared in Nvidia's GeForce Now leak have already been confirmed, and with an upcoming animated series also on the way, Final Fantasy 9's rumored remake could be announced in 2023.
Why Kingdom Hearts 4 Makes a Final Fantasy 9 Remake Very Likely
In September 2021, one of the biggest video game leaks in the industry's history occurred thanks to Nvidia's GeForce Now service. The leak resulted in tons of major titles leaking ahead of their announcement, and the leak was very quickly verified by titles announced in the following months. One publisher with multiple titles featured as part of the leak was Square Enix, which soon confirmed the titles featured in the leak including Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade for PC, Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition, Tactics Ogre: Reborn, and Kingdom Hearts 4. The announcement of Kingdom Hearts 4 made the Nvidia leak more credible if anything.
One suspicious title that appeared on the Nvidia GeForce leak was Final Fantasy 9's remake. Final Fantasy 9 is one of the most beloved mainline Final Fantasy titles, however it's a title Square Enix has already remastered and ported to modern platforms such as PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC, meaning this alleged remake would likely be a bigger effort than the recent Final Fantasy 8 remaster. As such, seeing what Final Fantasy 9 looks like with modern graphics would be amazing.
Strangely, Square Enix is already reviving Final Fantasy 9 in a big way, lending more credibility to this rumored remake. In 2021, Square Enix announced a partnership with French animation studio Cyber Group Studios to adapt Final Fantasy 9 into an animated series aimed towards children and long-time Final Fantasy 9 fans.
Why Final Fantasy 9 Remake Could Be Announced In 2023
While Final Fantasy 9 isn't celebrating any specifically noteworthy anniversaries in 2023, the year is host to a plethora of other related releases building off of the Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary project, which began last year with the release of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Final Fantasy 9's remake along with Final Fantasy Tactics Remastered, which was also part of the Nvidia leak, could both be the final reveals in this long series of Final Fantasy project reveals.
Given that Final Fantasy 7's remake project has spun off into its own trilogy of what some fans have considered sequels to the original Compilation of Final Fantasy 7, a Final Fantasy 9 remake is more likely to take a smaller-scale approach to rebuild the classic JRPG. This would also make it a more convenient release to tie into the upcoming animated series, especially if the title was remade in the style of some of Square Enix's recent smaller-scale projects like Trials of Mana and Valkyrie Elysium.
While many fans would likely prefer to see Final Fantasy 9 receive a bigger budget remake, given that Final Fantasy 7's remake has been split into three parts, a smaller scope could mean that there is more attention to remaking all of Final Fantasy 9's story in one satisfying modern JRPG. This also means the title could be announced relatively close to release, like how Square Enix recently announced Live A Live and Octopath Traveler 2 in Nintendo Directs five months ahead of their respective releases. Either way, with its inclusion in the Nvidia leaks and the impending release of its animated series adaptation, it seems like the rumored Final Fantasy 9 remake is gearing up for a 2023 reveal.
Final Fantasy 9 is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.