Because of the spread of COVID-19 around the world, there were concerns as to whether or not gamers would be able to get their physical copies of Final Fantasy VII Remake in time for its April 10 release date.
However, Square Enix made the decision to ship copies of the game early to ensure that as many people as possible would be able to get it on time. That also meant some players would be receiving the game early.
This was announced via the game’s official Twitter account, featuring a long message from Final Fantasy VII Remake Producer Yoshinori Kitase, urging players who receive the game early to not spoil it for others.
An important message from the #FinalFantasy VII Remake development team. #FF7R pic.twitter.com/UwBMNaIaXX
— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) March 30, 2020
Now, players in Australia and certain parts of Europe have already got their hands on copies of the game and, despite Kitase’s plea, spoilers are leaking out all over the place.
But what about the digital release of the game?
When issues pertaining to the Coronavirus were starting to get serious, a number of gamers cancelled their physical pre-orders, opting instead to preorder the game digitally via the PlayStation Store.
At the time, it seemed like the only way to ensure that you were going to be able to play Final Fantasy VII Remake when it released on April 10.
Now, it seems like digital pre-orders might be some of the last players to be able to get their hands on it.
When you preorder a game digitally, the game downloads into your console up to two days early, so that the game is playable at the stroke of midnight on release day.
The original slated auto download date for the digital release of Final Fantasy VII Remake was April 8. However, that was switched last week to April 3, leading many to believe that the digital release was also being bumped up.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
Square doubled down on its release date, stating that the digital copy will be released on April 10 as scheduled.
“While we understand the frustration of seeing the game for sale in some locations, the bulk of our shipments to retailers around the globe are still scheduled to arrive in stores for our April 10 street date,” Square Enix said in a statement. “Also, changing the digital release date at this point-in-time could lead to logistical issues that could disrupt the digital launch for everyone. Therefore, we will be adhering to an April 10 digital release date. Thank you for understanding.”
As of now, the digital copy has been pre-downloaded onto PlayStation 4 consoles and is counting down to the game’s release on April 10.
