No, the Final Fantasy 9 Remake hasn’t been officially announced — but don’t give up hope just yet

• ‘Final Fantasy 9’ search numbers and chatter are spiking as a result of a children’s picture book release by Square Enix
• Misleading headlines are hinting at a long-rumored remake, rather than a new piece of merchandise
• Interest in the rumored game remains massive, and I still hold out hope we’ll hear news this year

I love Final Fantasy IX. Along with a Spyro the Dragon game, it was one of the first video games I got for the original PlayStation as a child, and the one that taught me games could tell immersive, heartbreaking stories.

Speaking of heartbreaking, I’ve naturally been following the breadcrumb trail we’ve been thrown by leakers around the long-rumored remake of the game. I was sure we’d get news last year, around the game’s 25th anniversary, and was disappointed when that milestone came and went.

There’s been a recent spike in Final Fantasy IX (FF9) searches online, as some outlets have reported a ‘new FF9 release’ coming this year. Of course, these headlines are clickbait: rather than a new entry for our best RPGs and best PS5 games lists, it’s a new piece of merchandise, a children’s storybook centred around Vivi — one of the game’s most popular characters. There is no confirmation we’ll be seeing a Remake this year.

However, I remain optimistic we’ll see it eventually. The existence of the FF9 remake was first revealed via a massive Nvidia leak of upcoming Square Enix games, including a Chrono Cross Remaster, Final Fantasy Tactics remake, and Kingdom Hearts 4, all of which have since been either released or announced.