FF7 Remake Director Eyes FF6, While FF9 Remake Rumored to Be Cancelled

Square Enix’s future with Final Fantasy remakes may be more complicated than expected. Naoki Hamaguchi, director of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, has revealed that Final Fantasy 6 is the one game he would most like to revisit, even as rumors continue to swirl about the potential cancellation of the long-leaked Final Fantasy 9 Remake.

In an interview ahead of Tokyo Game Show 2025, Jez Corden of Windows Central asked Hamaguchi about his plans once the FF7 Remake trilogy is complete. After more than a decade devoted to Cloud and Midgar, the director admitted he would welcome a fresh project.

“I’ve put my heart and soul into the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series for over a decade now working on something completely new would be quite fun,” Hamaguchi said. “If I had all the time and money in the world, Final Fantasy 6 would be very cool to take on as a remake, as it is my favorite mainline title.” — Naoki Hamaguchi

There are currently no signs that Square Enix intends to remake FF6, but Hamaguchi’s comments underline the respect the 1994 SNES classic continues to hold among fans and developers alike. FF6’s 2D origins would make for a dramatically different approach compared to FF7, raising questions over whether Square Enix would pursue a full AAA remake or opt for a HD-2D style similar to Dragon Quest 3.

For now, the company’s immediate focus remains on delivering Part 3 of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, expected around 2028. That hasn’t stopped speculation about other remakes, particularly Final Fantasy 9, which has been the subject of multiple leaks for years.

Earlier this summer, leaker NatetheHate suggested that FF9 Remake had slipped into troubled development and might even be cancelled. Speaking on Resetera, he claimed the game’s future was unclear:

“As of last check it remains in development, to my knowledge,” the leaker said. “But I did hear a month or so ago that it was in trouble and possibly cancelled.” — NatetheHate

The remake of Final Fantasy 9 was originally part of the 2021 Nvidia leak, which listed several Square Enix projects. Unlike FF7 Remake, the ninth entry’s revival was not expected to span multiple games, instead reimagining the PlayStation-era RPG as a single title. Reports suggest the scope was larger than the original but nowhere near the scale of the FF7 trilogy.

If true, its possible cancellation would be a disappointment for fans who consider FF9 one of the series’ finest stories. The game marked a return to more traditional fantasy aesthetics after the futuristic leanings of FF7 and FF8, and a remake had long been rumored as a chance to modernize the experience for new players.

For now, Square Enix has made no official announcements regarding FF9 Remake or any potential work on FF6. With the spotlight firmly on FF7 Remake Part 3, fans may have to wait years before the company addresses whether other classic entries will receive similar treatment.

The mixed signals highlight the balancing act Square Enix faces: maintaining momentum on its flagship remake trilogy while deciding how, or if, to expand that strategy to other fan favorites. Whether FF6 or FF9 is next remains an open question, but Hamaguchi’s comments suggest the demand for revisiting the series’ golden era is alive and well.