Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail has a release date, but it’s the pre-order and Collector’s Edition bonus items that have some franchise fans raising their eyebrows. There are a number of Final Fantasy 9 items that have snuck their way in, with producer and director Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida saying the reason for this is “a secret.” Naturally, the rumour mill went into overdrive. Fans immediately wondered if there was a chance a remake was on the horizon?
Speaking during his PAX East panel via a translator over the weekend, Yoshi-P outlined Final Fantasy XIV’s upcoming Dawntrail expansion alongside the highly-anticipated release date. The expansion is set to drop on July 2, exactly a week after Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC drops (seemingly not by accident).
When it came to announcing the in-game items Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail players will get for pre-ordering the expansion, many noticed the Collector’s Edition included Final Fantasy 9’s Zidane and Garnet/Dagger in the form of wind-up minions, as well as Garnet’s eidolon Ark as a mount. “You may have noticed a lot of Final Fantasy 9 references here… but the reason is a secret,” Yoshi-P said.
While of course this one statement (and the in-game items themselves) has fans wondering if Final Fantasy 9 is getting a remake in the same vein as Final Fantasy 7, it’s just as likely we could see some sort of in-game crossover. Final Fantasy XIV already has an upcoming crossover with last year’s FF16, so it’s not out of the question. But for many fans of the 2000 classic, it seems like a hopeful sign we might get to play through the story again in high definition very soon.
Rumours of a Final Fantasy 9 remake have been swirling for some time, ever since the GeForce Now database leak a few years ago, which included the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Kingdom Hearts 4, and Chrono Cross remaster. While it seems pretty on the cards we’ll get to fall in love with Vivi all over again in the years to come, the focus on Square Enix’s remakes of FF titles has sat squarely on Cloud’s story. Given who successful those first two chapters have been, it wouldn’t surprise me if Square was interested in giving a few old favourites similar treatment.
If we get a remake of 9 before I hit my forties, I’ll be happy, is all I’m saying.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail follows on from Endwalker, and takes players to a more tropical setting which looks packed to the brim with content. Pre-orders start this week for those keen to get amongst it (or to cop those Final Fantasy 9 in-game items), with the expansion itself due to release July 2.
What do you think Yoshi-P’s Final Fantasy 9 “secret” is? Let us know in the comments.
Image: Square Enix
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