While E3 may have been bereft of news about Final Fantasy XVI or the next part of Final Fantasy VII Remake, the last few days have had a lot of Final Fantasy news overall. The latest rumor is that Final Fantasy IX is getting an animated adaptation — or at least, a studio is in the early stages of putting together an idea for the show and is pitching it to broadcasters.
The report comes from Kidscreen, which says that the show is being developed by Cyber Group Studios in collaboration with Square Enix. Cyber Group is working on the details, so we don’t yet know anything about the show’s potential style, length, or how many episodes it’ll have. Cyber Group intends to go into production by late 2021, with plans to debut the show by 2022.
It might seem like a random choice, given that the two games before it are much higher-profile, but it makes sense. Out of all the Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy IX has one of the most kid-friendly premises and casts. That’s not to say the entire story is kid-friendly, but it would be easier to adapt for a kid’s show than some of the other entries in the series. Cyber Group is reportedly aiming for kids ages 8-13.
As stated, Final Fantasy is having a bit of a moment right now. While we didn’t see the games in the series we expected to see at E3, we did get the reveal of Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin, a spin-off title set in the same general universe as Final Fantasy I — we even got a PS5 demo, albeit a corrupt one. We’re also getting a collection called Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, which is the first six games in the series. It’ll be released on PC and mobile devices.
Source: Kidscreen
