Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available early in Australia

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Update: Following in line with what we heard from Square Enix yesterday, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available in Australia today. Retailers like EB Games and JB Hi-Fi tweeted about the game's early release, and thrilled fans followed with pictures of their copies.

If you're in Australia, it sounds like you've got your cure for boredom in isolation. And if you are bold enough to venture out into stores, be sure to practice safe social distancing (6ft apart), wash your hands, and try not to touch anything except your PS4 controller.

Original story:

Square Enix is shipping out physical copies of Final Fantasy 7 Remake early as a result of the disruption caused by the coronavirus. 

In a post on Twitter, Square Enix released a statement explaining the decision has been made to ship copies of the game out in Australia and Europe "far earlier" in order for players to get the game in time for the worldwide release date on April 10. 

The game is also set to start shipping to other western regions including the US this week, but "due to the challenging situation" Square Enix says it "cannot provide delivery dates for each country and each retailer." This latest statement comes not long after the studio reported that the shipment of the game was experiencing some disruption as a result of COVID-19

Final Fantasy 7 Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Tetsuya Nomura asked fans not to spoil any of the surprises in store for the Remake if they receive a copy ahead of the launch date. 

"If you get the game early, please think of others and don't spoil it for them," the statement reads, "We know there are potential spoilers that have been out there for two decades as the original Final Fantasy was released in 1997. But Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a new game that still has many surprises for everyone. All our fans and players deserve to experience the game for themselves, and we ask for the support of our dedicated community around the world to ensure that." 

Currently, the digital version of the game is still set to release on April 10.

Can't wait to jump into the action with Cloud? Here are 10 games like Final Fantasy to keep you going. 

Heather Wald
Senior staff writer

I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at 12DOVE. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I'm not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good.