Final Fantasy 9 Character Designer Leaves Square Enix

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Toshiyuki Itahana, a long-time character designer for the Final Fantasy series, has retired from Square Enix. He spent three decades with the company, and while he’s most famous for his work on Final Fantasy 9, he’s made many other significant contributions to role-playing games over his career.

I’ve always loved Toshiyuki Itahana’s work, and while a lot of fans know him from Final Fantasy 9, he actually contributed to so many other games in the series! Beyond that classic, he worked on Final Fantasy 11, Final Fantasy 13-2, Final Fantasy 14, and even Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13. It’s amazing how much he did – he also designed art and characters for the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and Final Fantasy Fables games, plus titles like Final Fantasy Explorers and Mobius Final Fantasy. He really left his mark on the whole Final Fantasy universe!

FF9 Character Designer Toshiyuki Itahana Has Officially Left Square Enix

On January 5, 2026, Toshiyuki Itahana announced on his blog that he had left Square Enix. The veteran of the Final Fantasy series decided to depart at the end of 2025, following the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy 9. He explained his reasons for leaving, stating:

Last year, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of FINAL FANTASY IX, which was a really special occasion. I was thrilled to see so many fans enjoying it. Now that the artwork and oversight for the anniversary are finished, I feel proud of what I accomplished. It also feels like the right time to move on to new projects and challenges.

Although Toshiyuki Itahana is leaving his current position, he isn’t fully retiring. He plans to continue working as a freelance illustrator and character designer, and is excited to create new artwork. While he hasn’t announced his next project, he hopes fans will support his future work. He also expressed sincere gratitude to those who have enjoyed the games he’s contributed to, as well as his former colleagues at Square Enix.

Where Is The Long-Rumored Final Fantasy 9 Remake?

Back in September 2021, a leak from GeForce Now revealed a list of over 50 unannounced PC games. While most of those games have since been officially released, some are still missing. The remake of Final Fantasy 9 is a prime example of a game that remains unreleased despite being part of that original leak.

Square Enix hasn’t officially said whether or not they’re making a remake of Final Fantasy 9, but rumors have circulated online for years. The latest wave of speculation started in March 2025 when Square Enix launched a website celebrating the game’s 25th anniversary and released new character art. However, they didn’t announce a remake at that time. Instead, on July 7, 2025 – the game’s actual 25th birthday – a leaker named NateTheHate claimed the remake was in development but might have been canceled recently.

Although fans are still hoping for a complete remake of Final Fantasy 9, another project based on the game has been in development. Square Enix announced an animated series in 2021, partnering with French studio Cyber Group Studios. When Cyber Group Studios closed in April 2025, it seemed the series was canceled. However, as of December 2025, there’s a possibility it might still happen.

Okay, so I just saw some awesome news! Apparently, the Final Fantasy 9 animated series is back on! According to a French magazine, Euro Visual is now working on it. They’re going with 2D animation, which I’m totally hyped about, and it’s planned to have 13 episodes, each around 22 minutes long. The release is looking like 2028, and get this – the story will follow the kids of Vivi, six new Black Mages! Seriously, this is amazing news for any FF9 fan like me.

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2026-01-05 19:35