Huge Comeback for Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth in January 2025 Video Game Sales Report

January 2025 was a quiet month for the video game industry, with little to report other than the usual dominance of Call of Duty. However, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth has emerged as a surprising success story, bouncing back after concerns about its initial sales performance.

Launched in February 2024, Rebirth debuted at No. 2 on Circana's charts but faced a decline, finishing the year at No. 17. Square Enix expressed disappointment over its sales, indicating it hadn't met expectations. The game initially launched exclusively on PS5, which typically hampers sales compared to cross-platform releases.

Image Credit: Square Enix

Fast forward to January 2025, and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is no longer a PS5 exclusive. Its recent launch on Steam propelled it to No. 3 on Circana's charts, a dramatic rise from No. 56 in December. The FFVII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack also saw significant sales, moving up from No. 265 to No. 16. According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, Rebirth had a “fantastic” launch on Steam, becoming the best-selling game in the U.S. for the week-ending January 25.

This resurgence may signal a shift in strategy for Square Enix, potentially moving toward cross-platform releases for future Final Fantasy titles. Piscatella noted that it’s becoming increasingly challenging for third-party publishers to remain exclusive to a single platform without substantial incentives.

As for the rest of the sales landscape, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 again claimed the top spot as the best-selling game of January, followed by Madden NFL 25. The only new title to crack the top 20 was Donkey Kong Country: Returns, which reached No. 8 based solely on physical sales.

Despite some standout titles, overall game spending saw a decline of 15% compared to last January, largely due to the tracking period being four weeks instead of five. Total spending amounted to $4.5 billion for the month, with notable drops in accessories and console content spending.

The top 20 best-selling games in the U.S. for January 2025 included:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
2. Madden NFL 25
3. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
4. EA Sports FC 25
5. Minecraft*
6. Marvel's Spider-Man 2
7. EA Sports College Football 25
8. Donkey Kong Country Returns*
9. Hogwarts Legacy
10. Sonic Generations
11. Helldivers II
12. Astro Bot
13. Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
14. Super Mario Party Jamboree*
15. Elden Ring
16. Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack
17. Mario Kart 8*
18. The Crew: Motorfest
19. UFC 5
20. It Takes Two

The landscape of January 2025 reveals both challenges and opportunities, particularly for titles like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth that are adapting to new market conditions. It will be interesting to see how Square Enix responds to this recent success in its upcoming earnings call in May.