Square Enix allegedly issuing field destroy credit to retailers for Final Fantasy XIV

Square Enix wasn't kidding when they said they'd be destroying the old world of FFXIV and creating it anew.

Even at retail, the company seems fit to rid the shelves of all trace of the old version of the game. In a report supposedly issued to a poster on NeoGAF, SE has ordered all remaning copies of FFXIV destroyed. While said retailer is currently unknown, they're being offered $16 for every copy pulled.

With Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn launching by Q1 2013, it's no surprise that copies of the original are disappearing fast. Those who have purchased it will get access to the new version for free, so it's only natural that Square would remove these as quick as possible to replace them with a new disc later down the line.

Amazon currently has A Realm Reborn listed at $29.99 and $39.99 for PC and PS3 respectively, but if you're quick enough, you can still score the original version for around $11. Users with the original disc get a free upgrade to A Realm Reborn when it launches.

For more on Final Fantasy XIV, check out our latest interview with Naoki Yoshida, along with recent impressions of the new version straight from Gamescom.