Final Fantasy IX Has Sold Nearly 9 Million Copies in 25 Years — But Still No Remake in Sight
- Sagar Mankar
- Jul 8
- 2 min read
Final Fantasy IX just hit a major milestone — the beloved JRPG has officially sold nearly 9 million physical and digital copies worldwide since its original release in 2000. That’s a huge number for a game that came out on the original PlayStation and is still fondly remembered today by millions of fans.
To mark its 25th anniversary, Square Enix has put out a special tribute video celebrating the game’s legacy. In the video description, the publisher confirmed the impressive sales figure. “Released in 2000, the ninth entry in the Final Fantasy series has sold over 8.9 million physical and digital copies worldwide,” the description reads. The video highlights the game’s memorable characters — Zidane, Garnet, Vivi, and others — and the heartwarming adventure.
Furthermore, Square Enix has launched a 25th-anniversary fan art campaign, encouraging fans to submit their own creative tributes. Submissions are open until the end of October for fans aged 13 and up in selected countries. Chosen entries may be featured on the Final Fantasy Portal site and the franchise’s official social media channels.
That’s a nice gesture, sure — but it’s not the big news fans were holding out for. Earlier this year, Square Enix had stirred excitement by launching an official Final Fantasy IX 25th Anniversary website and teasing fans with anniversary merchandise and nostalgic social media posts. All signs pointed to something bigger — possibly a remake reveal. And with past rumors, like the 2021 Nvidia GeForce Now leak listing an unannounced FFIX Remake, the community had high hopes for July 7, the original release date in Japan.
Instead, Square Enix posted a tribute tweet on July 6 that read:
“Celebrating 25 years of Final Fantasy IX today. When a theatre troupe set out for a royal kidnapping, Zidane and Princess Garnet are thrown into an emotional adventure that's never left the hearts of those who've played it. What does FFIX mean to you?”
The following day, the fan art submission, Vivi Picture Book, and merch details were revealed — but still no remake news. Fans on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) voiced their disappointment, with many asking for Square Enix to at least confirm or deny the existence of the project. Others joked that they’d gotten their hopes up for nothing once again.
The fan-led Memoria Project, a reimagining of FFIX in Unreal Engine 5, even responded with a cheeky quote tweet asking, “When are we going to tell them, @SquareEnix?” — clearly reflecting the mood of the community.
Despite the radio silence on the remake, some fans remain optimistic. With the fan art deadline set for late October, there’s speculation that Square Enix might be planning a late-year announcement. Still, without any official word, it's just speculation for now.
So while 25 years and nearly 9 million copies sold is certainly something to celebrate, many fans are left wondering: when will Final Fantasy IX get the full remake treatment it deserves?
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