An alleged Final Fantasy 9 remake has been the center of speculation for years, but the latest update suggests that it might be unwise to expect anything to come out of it. FF9 remake rumors originally picked up steam thanks to a major NVIDIA leak, which included the game in a database of other upcoming titles. At this point, it’s clear that Square Enix was working on a remake in some capacity, but that may no longer be the case.

An X post from leaker NateTheHate2 responds to an FF9 remake query with the suggestion to “assume the game is on ice & the unknown is whether SqEx will return to it or not.” This isn’t the first time that NateTheHate2 has suggested development trouble. A ResetEra post from July suggested that it was “possibly cancelled,” but with only one source, Nate thought it was presumably still in development.

Final Fantasy 9 Remake Might Be On Ice

Things Aren’t Looking Good For Zidane & Crew

While NateTheHate’s latest update doesn’t exactly contain any hard news, this is a case where no news is bad news. Years after the NVIDIA leak, fans are hoping to see a reveal of the remake, not a rumor that the game is no longer in active development.

We don’t have any details about the circumstances of the FF9 remake’s development, but it’s possible that underwhelming sales of other Final Fantasy games impacted Square Enix’s interest in bringing the game to completion. While FF7 Rebirth certainly seemed popular enough, Square Enix claimed it was a financial disappointment overall, and sales of FF16 were also lackluster.

An FF9 Remake Could Have An Uphill Battle

Modern Final Fantasy Games Cost A Lot

A full-scale FF9 remake would be a huge endeavor, and it could easily face an uphill financial battle if the FF7 remake trilogy is faltering. FF9 is a common fan-favorite, but it’s hard to match FF7 in widespread popularity. That being said, console exclusivity was a major limiting factor in initial sales for FF7 Rebirth and FF16, so a multi-platform FF9 launch might have more luck.

Of course, that’s all just layering speculation on speculation. If the FF9 remake is indeed on ice, there could be other reasons. Ignoring the business side of things, the simplest explanation is that the game just wasn’t coming together in a way that worked.

The lack of information doesn’t necessarily spell doom for FF9, and it’s entirely possible that the game is still in active development. For now, though, Final Fantasy 9 fans might not want to wait with bated breath.