In 2027, Square Enix will finally have completed its ambitious three-game Final Fantasy 7 remake. Although, let's be honest, calling it a remake at this point is doing a disservice to what has essentially been an entirely new trilogy of games inspired by the 1997 PlayStation classic. Now, with Final Fantasy 7: Revelation set to release April 2027, the question becomes: what's the next Final Fantasy remake from Square Enix?
For my money, there are two Final Fantasy games that fans desperately want to see remade at this point. One is Final Fantasy 9, although according to multiple reports, if any such remake was in development, it's on ice right now. The other is the 1994 SNES masterpiece Final Fantasy 6. You can probably see where I'm going with this.
We've got a bit of a good news/bad news situation here. In a wide-ranging IGN interview with Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy producer and brand manager Yoshinori Kitase, it was confirmed that Square Enix will be prioritizing new games over remakes for the foreseeable. Great news for anyone waiting for an update on Final Fantasy 17, of course, but less good for those hoping we'd revisit Final Fantasy 9 or Final Fantasy 6 somewhere down the road.
There is a ray of light, however. Kitase said he personally doesn't "have any particular feelings towards any kind of remake" but teased that there's demand inside "inside the company." He then went on to specifically reference Final Fantasy 6, which is bound to send fans into a frenzy.
"Inside the company and also among the Final Fantasy fans, there's been many people asking for a remake of Final Fantasy 6, so who knows?," he said.
As exciting a prospect as this may be, it's worth noting development on projects like this can start and ultimately stall. While it's never been officially confirmed, it has been widely reported by reliable industry insiders that a Final Fantasy 9 remake was being worked on before ultimately being abandoned. It may yet return, but I wouldn't hold your breath.
There's also a chance a Final Fantasy 6 remake might not be as ambitious in scope as the Final Fantasy 7 trilogy, although I'm honestly fine with that. Heck, I'd be happy with a straight-up HD-2D remake of Final Fantasy 6 to keep the spirit of the SNES original alive.
Speaking of HD-2D, Square Enix just had enormous success with Final Fantasy Resonance. In our 9/10 review, we wrote: "Despite a few missteps in the story's pacing, Final Fantasy Resonance fulfills its promise of delivering classic JRPG gameplay for a modern era. It has plenty of quality-of-life options you'd expect with a retro tint, and tacticians should enjoy the sheer breadth Resonance offers when building your perfect party."
Who knows? Maybe the positive reception to Final Fantasy Resonance will encourage Square Enix to apply the HD-2D treatment to some of the more beloved turn-based Final Fantasy entries. Until that day comes, we can look forward to Final Fantasy 7 Revelation in April.
