In the last day or so, a number of fans who preordered Final Fantasy VII Remake through Amazon received email updates about their orders. Apparently, the remake is unlikely to ship in time for release day. Unfortunately, these emails offer no clarification as to when FFVII will arrive. Such confusion prompted Square Enix to release a statement on the matter, which first notes that the April 10th launch day remains in place. However, the coronavirus crisis has greatly affected the “distribution and retail landscape,” meaning some fans may not receive the game at launch.
Square Enix released its statement via the following post on FFVII’s Twitter account:
Release update information. #FF7R pic.twitter.com/oZ6XXBX5hR
— FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE (@finalfantasyvii) March 18, 2020
The publisher and developers are working closely with partners and retailers to ensure that as many fans as possible can play the long-awaited remake on launch day. Another post will go live on Friday, March 20th, hopefully featuring further news on the matter.
Amazon specifically changed its policy to better accommodate customers during the pandemic. In a memo recently sent to sellers, the online retailer noted it will prioritize more essential products until April 5th. The email reads in part,
We are seeing increased online shopping, and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock. With this in mind, we are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and deliver these products to customers.
At present, it remains to be seen how exactly this will affect game releases over the next few weeks. Square Enix’s above statement suggests that at least one major launch will be impacted in some respect.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is expect to release on April 10th for the PlayStation 4. Fans can currently download a free demo on the PlayStation Store.
[Source: Final Fantasy VII on Twitter, Business Insider]
