FF14 Collab Does Not A FF9 Remake Make, Says Director

Final Fantasy XIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida recently addressed persistent rumors of a Final Fantasy IX remake, clarifying the recent FFXIV collaboration's connection (or lack thereof).

Yoshi-P Debunks FF9 Remake Speculation

Yoshida, affectionately known as Yoshi-P, definitively stated that the recent FFXIV collaboration event, Dawntrail, featuring references to the beloved 1999 RPG, was not a precursor to a FFIX remake announcement.

"The original concept 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 stressed the collaboration's independent nature, stating the timing wasn't 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 clarified.

Despite this, Yoshida expressed his team's deep admiration for FFIX. "But of course in our development team, we have a lot of staff who are huge fans of Final Fantasy IX," he admitted. He acknowledged the game's massive scope: "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 enjoyed the numerous FFIX references in Dawntrail.

While dashing hopes for an immediate announcement, Yoshida concluded with a touch of optimism: "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 short, the rumors remain just that: rumors. While the FFXIV Dawntrail event offered a delightful nod to FFIX, fans hoping for a remake will need to continue exercising patience.