January 2025's video game sales saw a relatively quiet month, mirroring the typical trend. Call of Duty dominated, and only one new release cracked the top 20. However, a surprising comeback story emerged: Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.
Initially released in February 2024, Rebirth debuted at No. 2 on Circana's U.S. dollar sales charts but gradually declined to No. 17 by year's end. While respectable, Square Enix acknowledged that sales fell short of expectations, fueling speculation about its performance. The game's initial PS5 exclusivity likely hindered its sales potential compared to cross-platform titles.
The January 2025 Steam release dramatically altered the narrative. Rebirth surged to No. 3 on the Circana charts, up from No. 56 in December. The Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack also experienced a significant boost, climbing from No. 265 to No. 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.
This U.S. success likely reflects global trends, potentially influencing Square Enix's future cross-platform release strategies. Piscatella commented on the impact of the Steam release, stating that while the effect on publisher perception is difficult to ascertain without internal data, the consumer response was overwhelmingly positive. He further emphasized the increasing difficulty for third-party publishers to maintain single-platform exclusivity without significant platform holder incentives.
Beyond Rebirth, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 remained the top-selling game, followed by Madden NFL 25. Donkey Kong Country: Returns (Switch) was the only new release in the top 20, achieving No. 8 based solely on physical sales due to Nintendo's non-disclosure of digital sales data. It Takes Two's return to the top 20 (No. 20) is attributed to ongoing promotions and consistent sales throughout the month, potentially linked to the upcoming release of Hazelight Studios' Split Fiction.
January 2025's overall game spending showed a 15% decrease compared to January 2024, partially due to a shorter tracking period (four weeks versus five). Accessories spending dropped by 28%, content spending by 12%, and hardware spending by a significant 45%. PS5 remained the top-selling hardware, followed by Xbox Series in spending and Switch in unit sales.
The top 20 best-selling games in the U.S. for January 2025 (based on dollar sales):
- 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.
