Grab your potions and sit down, because the Final Fantasy 9 remake - a project that has been dangled in front of fans like a carrot on a very, very long stick - is apparently in the freezer. According to Eurogamer, renowned leaker Nate the Hate (yes, that's his name, yes he earns it) has reported that the long-rumoured remake is currently "on ice."
Nate the Hate, who built up serious credibility after accurately predicting a solid chunk of Nintendo's roadmap, dropped this particular tidbit during his latest podcast episode. For those keeping score at home, this guy's track record is reportedly pretty solid - so while we're not booking our one-way tickets to Gaia just yet, this isn't some random person yelling into the void either.
A remake that has been "coming soon" since forever
The FF9 remake has been whispered about in gaming circles for what feels like multiple console generations. Fans of Zidane, Vivi, and the whole Tantalus crew have been waiting with the patience of a White Mage grinding levels in a low-level area - admirable, increasingly painful, and frankly a little heartbreaking.
"On ice" is a frustratingly vague status update, of course. It could mean the project is paused, restructured, or quietly filed under "maybe someday" in Square Enix's legendary drawer of shelved dreams. Given the company's recent history of restructuring and cost-cutting following some high-profile commercial disappointments, it's not exactly a shock save state.
Square Enix's side quest problem
Square Enix has had its hands absolutely full with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the next chapter of that ongoing episodic remake saga, and whatever else is cooking in their dev kitchen. It's entirely plausible that a full FF9 remake - which would be a massive undertaking for a beloved classic - got bumped down the priority queue when budgets and bandwidth got tight.
For now, fans of the black-robed little mage and his ragtag crew are just going to have to sit tight. "On ice" doesn't mean cancelled - it means someone hit pause. Whether Square Enix picks it back up and presses play is a different quest entirely, and one we'll be watching closely.
Source: Eurogamer
