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

January 2025 was a subdued month for the video game industry, with minimal new releases making waves except for the standout performance of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth. After a quiet 2024, where it initially launched exclusively on PS5 and faced sales scrutiny, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth made a significant comeback upon its release on Steam in January 2025. The game soared from No.56 in December to No.3 on the Circana charts, highlighting a robust consumer response to its availability on PC. Similarly, the Final Fantasy 7: Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack climbed from No.265 to No.16, underscoring the impact of expanding to multiple platforms.

Circana analyst Mat Piscatella praised the Steam launch of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, noting it was the best-selling game of the week ending January 25th in the U.S., with the Twin Pack ranking third. This success on Steam may influence Square Enix's future release strategies, potentially favoring cross-platform launches over exclusive titles. Piscatella emphasized that launching on PC is increasingly vital for third-party publishers, suggesting that exclusive releases are becoming less viable without substantial platform holder incentives.

As for the broader market, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 continued its dominance, securing the top spot, followed by Madden NFL 25. The only new release to break into the top 20 was Donkey Kong Country: Returns on Nintendo Switch, reaching No.8 based solely on physical sales. Additionally, It Takes Two re-entered the top 20 at No.20, buoyed by promotional efforts ahead of Hazelight Studios' upcoming game, Split Fiction, set for release in March.

Overall, January 2025 saw a dip in spending compared to the previous year, attributed partly to a shorter tracking period. Total spending was down 15% to $4.5 billion, with content spending dropping 12%, console content down 35%, and hardware spending plummeting 45%. PS5 led hardware sales in both dollars and units, with Xbox Series and Switch following.

Here are 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.