Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth Climbs to No.3 in U.S. Charts After Steam Launch

January 2025 marked a typically quiet period in the video game industry, with only one new title, Donkey Kong Country: Returns on Nintendo Switch, managing to break into the top 20 best-selling games. However, the month wasn't without its surprises, particularly with the resurgence of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth.

Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, which initially launched in February 2024 and debuted at No.2 on Circana's charts, experienced a significant sales drop in subsequent months, ending the year at No.17. Square Enix expressed disappointment with its performance, hinting at unmet sales expectations without disclosing specific figures. This led to speculation about the game's commercial success compared to other RPGs released that year, such as Dragon's Dogma 2 and Final Fantasy 7: Remake.

A pivotal change occurred in January 2025 when Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth was released on Steam, expanding from its original PS5 exclusivity. This move catapulted the game from No.56 in December to No.3 on the January charts. The Final Fantasy 7: Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack also saw a dramatic rise, moving from No.265 to No.16. According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, Rebirth achieved the title of the best-selling game of the week ending January 25th in the U.S., with the Twin Pack ranking third.

This success on Steam suggests a broader appeal and potential for increased sales through cross-platform availability. Piscatella commented on the implications of such a release strategy, noting that it's increasingly challenging for third-party publishers to justify exclusive releases without substantial incentives from platform holders. The impact of this on Square Enix's future strategies remains to be seen, with more clarity expected at their earnings call in May.

In other news, the video game market saw continued dominance from familiar titles. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Madden NFL 25 topped the charts, with Donkey Kong Country: Returns securing the eighth spot based solely on physical sales, as Nintendo does not share digital sales data. It Takes Two also re-entered the top 20 at No.20, buoyed by ongoing promotions and anticipation for Hazelight Studios' upcoming game, Split Fiction, set for release in March.

Overall, January 2025 saw a 15% decrease in gaming spending compared to the previous year, totaling $4.5 billion. This decline can be partially attributed to the shorter tracking period of four weeks this year compared to five weeks in 2024. Accessories spending dropped by 28%, content spending by 12%, and hardware spending by a significant 45%. Among hardware, PS5 led in both dollars and units, followed by Xbox Series in spending and Switch in unit sales.

Here's the list of 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.