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 to be a relatively quiet month in the video game market, mirroring the typical lull often seen at the start of the year. Only one new title, Donkey Kong Country: Returns, managed to break into the top 20 best-selling games, highlighting the continued dominance of established franchises like Call of Duty. However, a surprising comeback story emerged, potentially altering perceptions of a previous year's perceived underperformer: Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.

Initially released in February 2024, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth debuted at number two on Circana's US sales charts but subsequently saw its ranking decline to number 17 by year's end. While respectable, these figures reportedly fell short of Square Enix's expectations, prompting speculation and a lack of official sales announcements. The game's initial PlayStation 5 exclusivity was often cited as a contributing factor to its comparatively lower sales compared to other major RPGs of 2024, such as Dragon's Dogma 2.

The January 2025 release of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth on Steam, marking its arrival on PC, dramatically altered its trajectory. The game catapulted to number three on the Circana charts, a significant jump from its December 2024 position at number 56. This success extended to the Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack, which rose from number 265 to number 16 in the same period. 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 US market.

This resurgence raises questions about Square Enix's future strategies, particularly concerning platform exclusivity. Piscatella commented that while the impact on Square Enix's internal perception of the game's overall success is difficult to gauge, the consumer response to the Steam launch was undeniably positive. He further emphasized the growing trend of PC releases significantly benefiting third-party publishers, making single-platform exclusivity increasingly challenging without substantial platform incentives.

Elsewhere on the charts, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Madden NFL 25 retained their top positions. Donkey Kong Country: Returns, entering at number eight, relied entirely on physical sales due to Nintendo's non-disclosure of eShop digital sales data. The return of It Takes Two to the top 20 at number 20 was attributed to ongoing promotional efforts, particularly in the final week of January across various digital storefronts, building momentum from a December sales and engagement uptick in anticipation of Hazelight Studios' upcoming title, Split Fiction.

January 2025's overall games spending figures showed a decline of 15% year-over-year, totaling $4.5 billion. This decrease is partially attributed to a shorter tracking period (four weeks compared to five in 2024). Accessory, content, and hardware spending all experienced significant year-over-year drops. Despite this, the PS5 remained the best-selling hardware platform in both units and dollar sales.

Top 20 Best-Selling Games in the U.S. (January 2025):

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.