Hello everyone,
We realise that our update on digital pre-orders for the PS3/PS4 versions of Heavensward in EU was a rather unwelcome surprise, and would like to take the time to go into further detail on the situation. We also know you have been eagerly awaiting input from us on this topic, but we wanted to make sure we could give you a comprehensive update, and address as many of your concerns as possible. Apologies for the delay in getting back to you all.
Australian Customers
First off, all the information we have mentioned in this thread before, or mention in this post, also applies to Australian customers and those in PAL territories, unless specifically stated otherwise, when we talk about the EU.
Upgrade Issues (PS3 -> PS4)
Please also be aware that the (
now resolved) issue, where users who had participated in the FFXIV: ARR PS3 to PS4 upgrade campaign were unable to pre-order Heavensward on the North American PlayStation Store, should not affect EU account customers – we have gone to great lengths to confirm this with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
Heavensward Pre-Orders on the EU PlayStation Store
At the same time, we did our best to liaise with Sony and get pre-orders on the EU PlayStation Store up and running ahead of the launch of Heavensward, but due to several circumstances outside of our control, this proved not possible.
We are aware that, to many, the NA and the EU PlayStation Store look like essentially the same thing, but they’re actually completely separate. We should have communicated this more clearly beforehand and apologise for any confusion caused.
However, to alleviate this and avoid a complete loss of the pre-order bonuses (including Early Access) for players interested in the digital versions of Heavensward for PS3/PS4, we have worked with SCEE to find a solution.
From Friday, 19th June until 23rd June 2015, a special version of Heavensward will be made available for a limited time that will allow you to take full advantage of the early access period and obtain the bonus in-game items available to those who pre-order.
We realise that this will require you to purchase and download the game on the day that Early Access starts, but this was the most practical solution possible, and we hope that this will enable you to use your time as effectively as possible given the circumstances.
Of course, all of this won’t have any effect on anyone who pre-ordered or planned to pre-order the physical PS4 versions of the game, as this is purely an issue with the PS Store platform for digital downloads.
So, how exactly will it work?
On Friday, the 19th of June, the PlayStation Store will be updated to include special
Heavensward Early Purchase versions (both standard and digital Collector’s Editions). Please note that we have been informed by SCEE that it can take anything from minutes to several hours until the update has been implemented in all regions, so we are unable to give a specific time when the Heavensward Early Purchase versions will be launched in each territory.
Once you can find Heavensward on the Store, you can purchase, download, install/add Heavensward to your account and play right away. The Early Purchase versions will be available up until the 23rd of June, during which they will be taken off the store and replaced with the normal purchase versions.
The in-game “Baron Circlet”, “Baron Earrings” and the “Chocobo Chick Courier” pre-order bonus items will be delivered to all eligible players on 23rd June. Further details can be found in our recent Lodestone post
here.
Important – Please note that there will also be a FINAL FANTASY® XIV Online - Early Purchase Bundle, which includes the A Realm Reborn base game and Heavensward. As the Early Access period is solely for existing players of A Realm Reborn, this bundle will not include Early Access! So please make sure to buy the correct version. However it will include the in-game bonus items.
We would like to again sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but please be assured that this was the only viable option, and we have done whatever we could to make the Early Access period available to our loyal players on PS3 and PS4, who are just as important to us as players on any other platform. Thank you for your patience!
