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Final Fantasy VII Remake shipping early amid COVID-19 disruption

Square Enix reveals European and Australian players may receive the game sooner than April 10 launch

In an unusual move, Square Enix has decided to ship Final Fantasy VII Remake earlier than planned in select regions.

A statement released via Twitter attributes the decision to the disruption caused by COVID-19, which producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Tetsuya Nomura say has "made it very difficult to align timing of our global shipping."

The game is due to launch on April 10, and the company had previously warned that delivery may be delayed due to logistical problems caused by the virus.

But in an effort to avoid that, Square Enix has decided to "ship the game far earlier than usual to Europe and Australia."

Players who pre-ordered in these regions may now receive their copy before April 10. The publisher remains optimistic that the game will reach other western regions in time for its intended launch, although it cannot provide specific delivery dates.

Kitase and Nomura asked players who do receive the game early to avoid spoiling it for those who have to wait -- acknowledging the irony, given the original came out in 1997, but emphasising the remake features its own secrets and surprises.

They concluded: "On behalf of the entire development team, and everyone around the world that has worked on getting Final Fantasy VII Remake to you all, thanks again for your support, and most importantly, please stay safe."

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James Batchelor

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James Batchelor is Editor-in-Chief at GamesIndustry.biz. He has been a B2B journalist since 2006, and an author since he knew what one was