January saw few new game releases, but one title is experiencing a surprising resurgence: Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth. The game debuted as a platform-exclusive on PS5 in February 2024 and struggled to meet Square Enix’s sales expectations. However, its recent launch on Steam has changed that narrative.
According to Circana charts, which rank video games by dollar sales in the U.S., Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth rose from No.56 in December to No.3 in January after becoming a cross-platform release. The game’s Steam launch was deemed “fantastic” by analyst Mat Piscatella, who noted it as the best-selling game of the week ending Jan 25th.
This success is likely to impact Square Enix’s plans for future Final Fantasy releases, with speculation that they may adopt a more cross-platform approach. Analysts point out that releasing exclusively on one platform can be challenging without significant incentives from the platform holder.
In contrast, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Madden NFL 25 maintained their dominance in January sales, while Donkey Kong Country: Returns made it to No.8 with physical sales. Other notable releases include It Takes Two’s return to the top 20 and Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack.
While overall spending numbers were down in January compared to last year, PC game launches like Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth suggest that releasing games on multiple platforms can be beneficial for publishers. As Square Enix prepares for its next earnings call, it remains to be seen how the company will respond to this shift.
Source: https://www.ign.com/articles/after-failing-meet-expectations-launch-final-fantasy-7-rebirth-shoots-no3-us-charts-with-steam-debut