The Final Fantasy 9 Remake might have been delayed to 2025

Whether these two are the same project or separate ventures, well, that's as mysterious as whether or not we've all been talking to the same Gilgamesh all this time in every entry.

Mind you, this is just the start of where things get juicy. Alongside these unofficial blockbuster reveals, the leaker disclosed that Square Enix got its hands on new PS5 dev kits. We're talking about the elusive, rumored PS5 Pro console. Nothing's official yet, but the word on the street is that Sony's cooking up something that could be a game-changer. If the Pro doesn't see the light of day, at least we have more concrete breadcrumbs leading to a PS5 Slim model.

And let's not sideline Nintendo in this console conversation. It's teased that the Final Fantasy 7 Remake is running well on Nintendo's next-gen console as Square Enix is reportedly playing around with a Switch 2 dev kit.

Now, this doesn't mean the first part in a planned remake trilogy is headed to a Nintendo platform, but we can't rule it out either.

Of course, as with any leak, a grain of salt is always advised. The hype for a Final Fantasy 9 remake was stoked earlier this year during its 35th-anniversary celebration. And while we were all psyched to revisit Vivi and Zidane in eye-popping graphics, Square Enix played it coy, leaving us with a simple "Thanks for the Memories," but no confirmation.

For those pining for a FF9 remake, there's still hope in the form of independent ventures like the Memoria Project. This non-playable but awe-inspiring project gives us a tantalizing glimpse of what a modern rendition could look like. It's like the Cactuar in the room - hard to ignore and something Square Enix might want to take note of.

As for what fans really want, the original FF9 was a turn-based wonder with a chibi-esque style that's as timeless as a Final Fantasy love story. To date, it's still the highest-rated Final Fantasy game on Metacritic. So a faithful retelling with voice acting, quality-of-life improvements, and polished visuals would be like hitting an RPG jackpot.

So here we are - amid speculations, wishful thinking, and a treasure trove of what-could-be's in the Final Fantasy universe. And while Final Fantasy 16 and 7 Rebirth are the current poster children for the franchise's future, the fandom's eyes are already gleaming at the possible return to older, beloved worlds. Summer 2024 is a date we're keeping our eye on, but until then, it's all hearsay, predictions, and a whole lot of grinding in existing titles.

Are we going to see the remakes of these iconic games? For now, it's like hoping to capture a rare summon - you never know, but oh, what a prize it would be.

But, if you're looking to scratch that classic JRPG itch, Sea of Stars is currently available to play on both the PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass.