The remake trend has proven highly profitable for many publishers such as Ubisoft, which has openly stated that remakes are more profitable than new franchises or titles.

When it comes to Square Enix, the studio is currently steering its ambitious Final Fantasy VII Remake project toward its conclusion next year. Although the decision to make the first two games timed exclusive ultimately hurt the company’s bottom line.

As such, Square Enix continues to refine its approach to the modern gaming landscape, which may bring bad news to those expecting a similar project to this legendary saga.

What About the Rumored Final Fantasy IX Remake?

For years, speculation has swirled around a possible remake of Final Fantasy IX, one of the most beloved installments in the series.

There has been no official confirmation, however, other than a few vague remarks from producer Naoki Yoshida, who once noted that remaking FFIX would demand more chapters than FFVII.

But Journalist Alex Donaldson of VG247 and RPGSite (via Wccftech) recently revealed that the Final Fantasy IX remake is indeed real and had reached a remarkably advanced stage of production, according to his sources.

Unlike FFVII, this version was planned as a single, self-contained release rather than a multi-episode saga.

However, this project has stalled and not made any significant progress in a while:

“There was an FF9 remake, and it was a single game, and it was very far along. Yoshida even made some vague comments like these hinting at the fact around the last expansion’s FF9 tribute content. So, it is possible, with the right scope, which to be clear is obviously a smaller scope than FF7R. However for various reasons – surely a story for another day – that project stalled out, and it’s no longer moving forward. And Yoshida makes comments like this to manage fan expectations.”

Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX es una de las entregas más queridas por los fans

A Strategic Pause Driven by Square Enix’s New Direction

While these are just rumors, the broader logic behind the pause is hard to dismiss

The Final Fantasy VII remake saga has proven to be an enormous undertaking that took over a decade to reach its finale. Meanwhile, sales have fallen short and the company’s exclusivity arrangements with PlayStation have had a measurable negative impact on its financial performance.

Today, Square Enix is adopting a more experimental, learn-as-it-goes strategy, and that approach is slowly yielding positive results.

Yet, according to the sources cited, leadership currently views another large-scale Final Fantasy remake as misaligned with the franchise’s immediate future. Instead, the company is pivoting toward fresh projects in the Final Fantasy IP and other established series, aiming to diversify its portfolio and deliver new experiences to players.

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