The rumored Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster is on its way, according to a reputable source. Bloomberg's ever-reliable journalist Jason Schreier has responded to a Twitter user's query about the remaster, confirming that it is "coming," although it is unclear whether the re-release will be of the original game or the upgraded War of the Lions version.
Rumors of a remaster gained steam when the Theatrhythm Final Fantasy developers inadvertently revealed in a recent interview with Finaland that the team behind Final Fantasy Tactics is currently working on a project. While it was not clear if this project was Tactics itself or a new project, Schrier's post points to some sort of remaster being in development.
Furthermore, the remaster might be adopting the HD-2D style, as Square Enix Japan recently conducted a survey asking fans what kind of remaster they would like to see the Asano team (responsible for Octopath Traveler, Live A Live Remake, and Bravely Default) develop in the future, and for which genre as well.
In 1998, Final Fantasy Tactics was first released on the PlayStation. It boasted highly polished writing and translation, as well as a compelling class-based conflict and reimagined history. One of the most significant elements of the game was its character progression, which focused on individual units and classes rather than the cohesive small units of the game that inspired it, Ogre Battle.
The script was also highly regarded for its use of an Old English style, and The War of the Lions, the enhanced PSP and mobile version released in 2007, received an all-new translation that improved upon the original script while retaining its ornate prose.
The updated edition also offered a number of new features, such as additional items and jobs, support for 16:9 widescreen displays, and the inclusion of full-motion video. Another notable improvement was the inclusion of full voice acting in the English cutscenes, which was not present in the Japanese version.
These factors make the War of the Lions version a definite upgrade over the original, and the one that the team should absolutely deliver. While the release date remains unknown, a user on the Final Fantasy Tactics subreddit reported receiving a playtest survey invitation from Eidos-Montreal, suggesting that the game may already be in a playable state.