Final Fantasy 9's maybe-real remake may or may not be canceled, but either way, Square Enix has busily celebrated the beloved chapter's 25th anniversary in a plethora of ways. But the festivities haven't been limited to official channels. FF9's enduring fandom has taken to the internet in shared good cheer throughout 2025.
In addition to all the nostalgic social media chatter, various publications have held retrospectives, and at least one has spoken with one of the game's core English translators about the process, from striking regional name changes to hopes of how that ever-elusive remake might improve upon his localization's groundwork.
Time Extension had the chance to chat with Final Fantasy 9 translator Brody Phillips, who, in their own words, was "one of a very small group of people tasked with translating the classic RPG into English". Their conversation is a fascinating look back at a project which faced all sorts of trials and tribulations, but - and I think I speak for the majority of FF9 diehards - largely turned out quite well. The script is sharp, it's witty, and much of its charm comes from folks like Phillips himself.
We'll start...
