FF7: Rebirth Steam Debut Propels Game to Top 3

January's video game sales figures for 2025 paint a mixed picture, marked by a quiet month overall but a surprising resurgence for a title previously considered a sales underperformer. Call of Duty's dominance remains unchallenged, with only one new release, Donkey Kong Country: Returns for Nintendo Switch, making the top 20. However, the story of the month centers on the unexpected success of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.

Initially released in February 2024, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth debuted at number two on Circana's U.S. dollar sales charts but gradually slipped to number 17 by year's end. While respectable, these figures fell short of Square Enix's expectations, prompting speculation about the game's performance relative to other major RPGs. The publisher's silence on specific sales numbers further fueled this uncertainty.

The game's fortunes dramatically changed with its January 2025 release on Steam. This cross-platform launch propelled Rebirth to number three on the Circana charts, a significant jump from its December position at number 56. The Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack also saw a considerable boost, rising from number 265 to number 16. Analyst Mat Piscatella highlighted Rebirth's "fantastic" Steam launch, noting it was the best-selling game for the week ending January 25th in the U.S. market.

This success, likely mirrored internationally, could significantly influence Square Enix's future release strategies. Piscatella commented on the impact, stating that while the effect on publisher perception is difficult to assess without access to internal data, the consumer response to the Steam launch was overwhelmingly positive. He further emphasized the increasing difficulty for third-party publishers to maintain platform exclusivity without substantial incentives from platform holders.

The remainder of the top 20 largely reflects established trends. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Madden NFL 25 secured the top two spots. The only other new entry was Donkey Kong Country: Returns, reaching number eight based solely on physical sales due to Nintendo's non-disclosure of digital sales data. It Takes Two's return to the top 20 at number 20 is attributed to ongoing promotional efforts, particularly in the final week of January, and sustained sales throughout the month. This promotion likely anticipates the March release of Hazelight Studios' next game, Split Fiction.

January 2025's overall gaming spending figures showed a 15% decline compared to the previous year, largely due to a shorter tracking period (four weeks versus five). This resulted in $4.5 billion in spending, although this figure still surpasses January 2023's four-week total by 0.3%. Accessories, content, and hardware spending also experienced significant year-over-year declines. Despite the overall downturn, PS5 remained the best-selling hardware in both dollar and unit sales.

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.