After 'Failing to Meet Expectations' at Launch, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth Shoots to No.3 in U.S. Charts With Steam Debut

January 2025 proved a relatively quiet month for the video game industry, mirroring the typical lull often seen at the start of the year. Only one new release cracked the top 20 sales charts, and Call of Duty maintained its predictable dominance. However, a potential comeback story emerged: Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.

Initially released in February 2024, Rebirth debuted at number two on Circana's U.S. sales charts, but its ranking gradually slipped to number 17 by year's end. While respectable, these figures reportedly fell short of Square Enix's expectations, leading to speculation and unannounced sales figures. The game's initial PS5 exclusivity was cited as a potential contributing factor to lower sales compared to cross-platform competitors like Dragon's Dogma 2.

The January 2025 Steam release dramatically altered Rebirth's trajectory. The game surged to number three on the Circana charts, a significant jump from its December position at number 56. The Final Fantasy VII: Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack also saw a substantial rise, moving from number 265 to number 16. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella highlighted the game's "fantastic" Steam launch, noting it was the best-selling game for the week ending January 25th in the U.S.

This U.S. success likely reflects similar global performance, potentially prompting Square Enix to reconsider its future cross-platform release strategies. Piscatella commented on the situation, stating that while the impact on Square Enix's internal perception of the game's success is difficult to gauge, the consumer response to the Steam launch was undeniably positive. He further emphasized the growing trend of PC releases becoming increasingly crucial for third-party publishers, making single-platform exclusivity less viable without significant platform-holder incentives.

The remainder of the January charts saw Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Madden NFL 25 securing top positions. The only new entry in the top 20 was Donkey Kong Country: Returns for Nintendo Switch, achieving number eight based solely on physical sales due to Nintendo's non-disclosure of eShop digital sales data. It Takes Two also reappeared at number 20, attributed to ongoing promotional efforts and consistent sales throughout the month, potentially linked to the upcoming release of Hazelight Studios' Split Fiction in March.

January 2025's overall games spending showed a decline compared to the previous year, partly due to a shorter tracking period (four weeks versus five). Total spending reached $4.5 billion, a 15% decrease year-over-year. Accessories, content, and hardware spending also experienced significant year-over-year drops. Despite this, the PS5 remained the best-selling hardware in both units and dollar sales.

The top 20 best-selling games in the U.S. for January 2025 (based on dollar sales):

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*

*Indicates that some or all digital sales are not included in Circana's data. Some publishers, including Nintendo and Take-Two, do not share certain digital data for this report.