Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida has responded to speculation regarding his involvement with the rumored Final Fantasy IX remake.
Speaking during the Final Fantasy XIV Letter From The Producer stream, director Naoki Yoshida offered clarification on rumors surrounding a recent interview he did with Dutch publication Gamer.nl on the Dawntrail media tour. He originally appeared to have stated that the development team behind Final Fantasy XIV and Final Fantasy XVI, Creative Business Unit 3, is working on 2 new games, and that both projects would be announced soon. However, it turns out that this was an error in translation.
Yoshida clarified that while Creative Business Unit 3 is working on multiple projects, he did not state that they would be announced soon. He also put rumors regarding his involvement in the development of a Final Fantasy IX remake to rest, saying that he is not involved in any such remake. He further stated that such a game would be a huge undertaking, perhaps even more bigger than the Final Fantasy VII remake.
While Yoshida denied his involvement in the development of a FFIX remake, he didn’t necessarily deny its existence. During a recent episode of Game Mess Mornings, host Jeff Grubb, who is known for his sources within the video game industry, had stated that the rumored Final Fantasy IX remake is real and that it will retain the classic turn-based combat seen in the original.
Grubb said that he heard about the existence of the project very recently. He said that the Final Fantasy IX remake would almost certainly not be as ambitious a remake as Final Fantasy VII Remake. In terms of ambition, he categorized the project as being somewhere between Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion and Final Fantasy VII Remake. Additionally, Reset Era member Im A Hero Too, who has previously shared details regarding other Japanese games that are currently in development, had also mentioned that the remake will feature traditional gameplay that is closer to the original.
