This past Monday, Square Enix revealed that some players from Australia and Europe would be getting their physical copies of the long-awaited Final Fantasy VII Remake earlier than usual; before the game officially releases on the 10th of April, even.
Square Enix decided to do this because of the Coronavirus outbreak, especially because some retailers may not be able to receive/deliver the sought after title in time. The rest of the world would still be getting the game as scheduled, and players who pre-purchased a digital copy would also have to wait until the official launch date.
There are some players, however, who have been asking Square Enix to release the game earlier everywhere, particularly on digital shopfronts, and the developer has recently addressed this topic on the official Square Enix support centre website.
As stated by Square Enix, they understand that some fans may be frustrated over seeing the game becoming available earlier in some locations, but they have to stick to their initial schedule, and that digital copies of Final Fantasy VII Remake releasing earlier would end up messing up with the system; thus ruining the launch for everyone.
Square Enix's statement reads as follows:
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. 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 your understanding.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is launching worldwide next Friday, so waiting a few more days for the game won't hurt anybody. We do hope that those who got the game early don't spoil it for the rest who are impatiently waiting for the official launch. If you are one of those lucky ones, however, enjoy the game; we all envy you.
In Midgar, a city controlled by the mega-conglomerate Shinra Inc., the No. 1 Mako Reactor has been blown up by a rebel group, AVALANCHE. AVALANCHE was secretly formed to wage a rebellion against Shinra Inc., an organisation which is absorbing Mako energy, destroying the natural resources of the planet. Cloud, a former member of Shinra's elite combat force, SOLDIER, was involved with the bombing of the Mako Reactor. Can Cloud and AVALANCHE protect the planet from the huge, formidable enemy, Shinra Inc.?
Final Fantasy VII Remake will be available for the PlayStation 4 on the 10th of April.