Final Fantasy 7 Remake isn’t delayed, but your order may take longer than expected

(Image credit: Square Enix)

If you’ve pre-ordered (or are planning to order) a retail disc copy of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, we may have some bad news for you. Square Enix has confirmed that disruption to retail stores and global distribution channels may affect the amount of time it takes for the game to ship to you.

The game has now gone gold, and is due to release on April 10 for PS4. The remake had already seen numerous development delays since it was originally announced back in 2015.

Square Enix stated that Final Fantasy 7 Remake won’t be delayed beyond this date, saying that “the worldwide release of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE on April 10 will go ahead.”

However, the publisher also cited “unforeseeable changes in the distribution and retail landscape” as why “it is increasingly likely that some of you will not get hold of your copy of the game on the release date.”

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Let's get digital

Given the impact of Covid-19 worldwide, this announcement isn’t surprising as retail stores and chains have been forced to close. That's including Microsoft stores.

It does, however, make a renewed argument for buying the game digitally, without the hassle of waiting for a product that may not arrive with you by the time you’d expected – especially given the lack of certainty over how long those delays might be.

Square Enix added: “We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis and working with our partners, retailers, and SQUARE ENIX teams across Europe and the Americas, to do everything we can to ensure as many of you as possible can play the game on April 10.”

The current release slate for 2020 games seems increasingly uncertain, though, as more developers implement remote working, and the next-gen PS5 and Xbox Series X seem less and less likely to meet their late 2020 release date. We'll keep you updated when we know more.

Via SlashGear

Henry St Leger

Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.