This article was originally written for TheNintendoVillage.com, a website I founded and ran from 2018 to 2021.

There’s less than a week until Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition hits store shelves (and the eShop), but we’re still learning new information about the game.

The latest news pertains to the game’s matchmaking setup. We’ve already learned that multiplayer will be restricted to online only, despite the game’s offline origins, and it now turns out that that online matchmaking will also be restricted by region.

Over on the official website for the game, a small disclaimer reveals the region-locking in effect:

“In online multiplayer mode, a player will only be matched with others in the region specific to player’s software.”

Whilst that should help cut down on lag, it’s a bit of a bummer for anyone who was hoping to play with people in a different region.

Elsewhere, we’ve also learned that the game will employ a friend code system, likely to facilitate the game’s cross-platform play. As well as your individual friend codes, there’ll also be party codes that expire after 30 minutes, allowing you to team up with people without actually befriending them. You’ll also be able to follow players you’ve been matched with to help team up again in future.

Are you picking this one up? Let us know your thoughts on the matchmaking process down in the comments.

Source: Siliconera, Nintendo Life