January 2025 marked a typically quiet period for the video game industry, with only one new release managing to break into the top 20 charts. However, the month wasn't without its highlights, particularly the resurgence of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, which had been considered a sales disappointment in 2024.
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth initially launched in February 2024, securing the No.2 spot on Circana's charts, which rank video games by dollar sales in the U.S. Its performance dipped to No.7 in March and ended the year at No.17. Despite these respectable numbers, Square Enix expressed dissatisfaction with the game's sales, hinting at unmet expectations without disclosing specific figures. The game's initial exclusivity to the PS5 likely contributed to its sales challenges, as platform exclusives often struggle against cross-platform releases.
The narrative shifted dramatically in January 2025 when Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth became available on Steam, catapulting it from No.56 in December to No.3 on the Circana charts. The Final Fantasy 7: Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack also saw a significant rise, moving from No.265 to No.16. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella highlighted the game's "fantastic" Steam launch, noting it as the best-selling game of the week ending January 25th in the U.S. market, with the Twin Pack ranking third.
This success on Steam suggests a broader appeal and potential for increased sales when games are released across multiple platforms. Piscatella commented on the trend, stating, "Releasing on PC makes a ton of sense at this point regardless of genre or historical release strategies." He also noted the increasing difficulty for third-party publishers to justify platform exclusivity without significant incentives from platform holders.
Square Enix's response to this development will be closely watched, with their next earnings call scheduled for May. The company's future strategy regarding platform exclusivity could be influenced by these recent sales figures.
In other news, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 continued its dominance, securing the top spot in January's sales charts, followed by Madden NFL 25. The only new release to crack the top 20 was Donkey Kong Country: Returns on Nintendo Switch, reaching No.8 based solely on physical sales, as Nintendo does not share digital sales data.
It Takes Two made a notable return to the top 20, landing at No.20. Piscatella attributed this to ongoing promotions and steady sales throughout January, with a significant uptick starting in December. These efforts are part of the buildup to Hazelight Studios' next game, Split Fiction, set to release in March.
Overall, January 2025 saw a decline in gaming spending compared to the previous year. The tracking period for January 2025 was four weeks, compared to five weeks in 2024, which impacted the figures. Total spending was down 15% to $4.5 billion, with content spending down 12%, console content down 35%, and hardware spending down 45%. PS5 hardware spending decreased by 38%, Xbox Series by 50%, and Switch by 53%. Despite these declines, PS5 remained the best-selling hardware in both dollars and units, followed by Xbox Series in hardware spending and Switch in unit sales.
The top 20 best-selling games in the U.S. for January 2025, based on dollar sales, were as follows:
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Madden NFL 25
- Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
- EA Sports FC 25
- Minecraft*
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- EA Sports College Football 25
- Donkey Kong Country Returns*
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Sonic Generations
- Helldivers II
- Astro Bot
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
- Super Mario Party Jamboree*
- Elden Ring
- Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack
- Mario Kart 8*
- The Crew: Motorfest
- UFC 5
- 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.
