Square Enix has been steadily feeding us with a bunch of new Final Fantasy IX merch over the past few months. From plushies of the main cast to black mage hats and figurines of Zidane and Garnet, there's no shortage of new items. All in aid of the game's 25th anniversary this July.
We weren't prepared for yesterday's merchandise drop, however. Mini acrylic stands featuring updated designs for all eight party members and a little plush pouch of Vivi are all well and good (the pouch is very adorable), but do you know what's even better? A mug of everyone's favourite black mage with a "large hat lid."
Is this true happiness? is this the best mug — no, the best piece of merchandise ever? The adorable Vivi Ornitier, immortalised in perfect coffee mug form? And it's only 3,520 yen (around USD $25)? There's got to be a catch, right?
Yep. The mug is currently exclusive to the Japanese Square Enix store, which doesn't ship internationally. So if you want one, you'll have to use a forwarding service in Japan or a retailer like Ami Ami.
In terms of new stuff you can get from, the three sets of acrylic stands are available in both North America and Europe, alongside some other merch drops such as Garnet's iconic silver necklace and the gorgeous-looking Timeless Tale vinyl.
But the big question is, why is Square Enix going all out on Final Fantasy IX's anniversary? The studio didn't do a ton for VII or VIII's anniversaries — the former, however, has its own Remake trilogy, so does it need more?
It all seems to be leading up to the inevitable reveal of the long-rumoured Final Fantasy IX remake, which was "revealed" in the big Nvidia leak back in 2021. Many of those leaks have come to pass in recent years, with the FFIX remake being one of the few remaining items.
Is Square Enix leading up to an announcement on the game's anniversary on (or before) 7th July 2025? We've got new character portraits, tons of new merch, a new vinyl; a remake would tie things up nicely. Of course, that remake is just a rumour right now. But we have our fingers crossed.
Do you want the Vivi mug for your morning brew? Or are you just praying for that remake news? Find your place to call home in the comments.