FF14 Collab Does Not A FF9 Remake Make, Says Director

Final Fantasy XIV's director, Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P), has addressed speculation linking the recent Final Fantasy IX collaboration event in FFXIV's Dawntrail expansion to a potential FF9 remake. He's clarified that the two are entirely unrelated.

Yoshida Quashes FF9 Remake Speculation

Yoshida stated in a recent interview with JPGames that the FFXIV team's inclusion of FF9 elements was purely a tribute stemming from their desire to make FFXIV a "theme park" for the entire Final Fantasy franchise. The timing was coincidental and not tied to any planned remake. He emphasized that the decision to incorporate FF9 references wasn't driven by marketing strategies related to a hypothetical remake.

While acknowledging the significant fan interest in FF9 and the large team of FF9 fans within the FFXIV development team, Yoshida highlighted the sheer scale of FF9. He explained that the immense size of the original game makes a remake a considerable undertaking, influencing the decision to create a smaller-scale homage within FFXIV instead of waiting indefinitely for a potential full remake.

Although the interview dispelled immediate hopes for a FF9 remake announcement, Yoshida concluded by expressing his support for any team that might eventually tackle such a project.

For now, fans eager for a FF9 remake will have to content themselves with the numerous references in FFXIV: Dawntrail, or patiently await future announcements. The rumors remain just that – rumors.