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

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

by Madison Mar 04,2025

January 2025 saw a typically slow month for video game sales, mirroring the trend of previous years. Call of Duty's dominance remained unchallenged, with only one new release entering the top 20. However, a surprising comeback story emerged: Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.

Initially released in February 2024, Rebirth debuted at number two on Circana's US dollar sales charts but gradually declined to number 17 by year's end. While respectable, these figures reportedly fell short of Square Enix's expectations, leading to speculation about its performance relative to other major RPGs. The lack of official sales figures further fueled this uncertainty.

The game's initial PS5 exclusivity likely hampered its sales potential. However, its January 2025 release on Steam propelled it to number three on the Circana charts, a significant jump from December's number 56. The "Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack" also saw a substantial increase, rising from number 265 to number 16.

Circana analyst Mat Piscatella highlighted Rebirth's "fantastic" Steam launch, noting it was the best-selling game for the week ending January 25th in the US. This success suggests similar strong performance internationally, potentially prompting Square Enix to reconsider its future release strategies. Piscatella commented on the impact of the Steam release, stating that while the effect on publisher perception is difficult to definitively assess, the consumer response was overwhelmingly positive. He emphasized the growing trend of cross-platform releases, making single-platform exclusives increasingly challenging unless significant incentives are offered by platform holders.

The remainder of the top 20 largely reflected expected results, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Madden NFL 25 leading the pack. Donkey Kong Country: Returns (Switch) was the only new entry, reaching number eight based solely on physical sales due to Nintendo's non-disclosure of digital sales data. It Takes Two's re-entry at number 20 is attributed to ongoing promotions and consistent sales throughout the month, possibly linked to the upcoming release of Hazelight Studios' Split Fiction.

Overall, January 2025 saw a 15% decrease in game spending compared to the previous year, partly due to a shorter tracking period (four weeks versus five). Accessories (-28%), content (-12%), and hardware (-45%) spending all experienced significant year-over-year declines across all major consoles. Despite this, PS5 remained the best-selling console in both units and dollar sales.

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