The year has kicked off with another bittersweet news for fans of Final Fantasy IX. Revealed in an official blog, a long-time character designer and major Square Enix illustrator, Toshiyuki Itahana, is finally leaving the company.
For the longest time, fans of Final Fantasy IX were clinging to hopes for a remake or remaster of the game. Plentiful rumors had been floating around from big sources that made claims of a remake under wraps in the company.
It’s not unrealistic to guess that one of the popular games in the series would never get a remake, especially when the fanbase catches a whiff of the rumors. We have seen fans patiently waiting for games such as Final Fantasy VII remake and the remastered release of Final Fantasy VIII, which eventually came true.
Fans should not stop hoping for a remake
It seems like the Final Fantasy IX fans are especially in it for the long haul, as every news surrounding a remaster just keeps stagnating hopes. So we have to look at this situation realistically.
Toshiyuki Itahana is leaving Square Enix to become a freelance artist, which does not mean that he is going to be completely cut out of possible Final Fantasy projects in the future. Important artists in the Japanese gaming industry leave their companies for the pursuit of freelance work after a certain point in experience.
We have seen this happen with some of the great figures in the industry, such as the artist behind Street Fighter II, Akiman (Akira Yasuda), and Shoji Meguro of Persona JRPG series fame, leaving their respective companies. But they are still associated with projects as freelance artists.
In his blog post, Toshiyuki Itahana shares a new artwork of Final Fantasy IX, sharing his thanks to all the fans who supported him throughout the years, as well as helped celebrate the 25th anniversary of the game.
“To everyone who played the games I worked on at Square Enix, and to all those I had the pleasure of working with over the years, thank you very much. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude, and I sincerely hope for your continued support in the future,” he wrote in his blog.
Toshiyuki Itahana’s history at Square Enix and the future of FFIX
Toshiyuki Itahana joined Square Enix way back in the day and was involved with multiple other projects and even helped direct a few games like Code Age Commanders and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers for the Wii.
His most important contributions to fans of video games will always be his hand in designing the characters for Final Fantasy IX. The game is available on modern platforms, and it has created a special place in the hearts of Final Fantasy players who are particularly fans of this game.
Final Fantasy IX was released in 2000 for the PlayStation originally and follows a cast of wonderful characters with a whimsical art style, separating itself from the last few games. Looking at Square Enix’s efforts behind celebrating the game’s anniversary with a live exhibition, it can certainly be considered that they care for the game’s legacy.
The company went through major restructuring in recent years, which led to a lot of project cancellations and swapping between management. Realistically, if there was a remake for Final Fantasy IX ever planned and in development, it is highly likely that it has been shelved for now.
But this does not mean that a remake will never happen, but fans will surely have to hold on to hope for much longer.
