With the recent pandemic brought on by the COVID-19 virus, many games have been eagerly awaiting the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, hoping for a new game to stave off the boredom of social distancing.
Square Enix stated earlier this week that it was still planning on releasing the game as scheduled. However, it went on to say that certain retailers might be closed or have different operating hours because of the ongoing crisis.
Square promised a further announcement on March 20, however that ended up being mostly a rehash of what had already been said.
“As you may have seen, earlier this week we shared the news that the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly likely to affect the distribution and retail landscape in Europe, Australia, and the Americas at launch on April 10,” Square said in its announcement. “Thanks for all your comments in response to the message we posted about this. We are sharing all your questions and comments with the relevant teams in these regions so that we can update you further next week.”
As of now, the release date for Final Fantasy VII Remake is still slated for April 10, 2020. However, if you pre-ordered your copy from a physical retailer, your ability to get the game on the day of its release might vary.
Square has not made any kind of announcement regarding players who have pre-ordered the game through the Square Enix website. This includes those who ordered the insanely expensive First Class Edition, which retails for $300.
The fact that Square did not mention their own website might be a beacon of hope for the many who ordered directly from the developer. It is possible that Square believes its shipments will still be able to go out on time and arrive in the hands of players all over the world on April 10.
The only way to be 100% certain that you will be able to play the game when it releases on launch day is to pre-order it digitally.
Square has made the digital pre-order process simple for this game. The recently released playable demo for Final Fantasy VII Remake has a link at the very end where you’re able to order the digital or digital deluxe versions of the game through the PSN. The game is slated to download sometime on April 8, making it ready to play when the clock strikes midnight on April 10.
Square has promised further updates next week, so it will be interesting to see what they have to say as the April 10 release date inches closer and closer.
