January 2025's video game sales figures reveal a relatively quiet month, mirroring typical January trends. Call of Duty's dominance remains predictable, with only one new title, Donkey Kong Country: Returns, entering the top 20. However, a surprising resurgence marks the month: Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth.
Initially released in February 2024, Rebirth debuted at No. 2 on Circana's US dollar sales charts but subsequently saw its ranking decline to No. 17 by year's end. Square Enix acknowledged the game fell short of its sales projections, fueling speculation about its performance compared to competitors like Dragon's Dogma 2. The initial PS5 exclusivity likely contributed to lower-than-expected sales.
The January 2025 release of Rebirth on Steam dramatically altered its trajectory. The game leaped to No. 3 on the Circana charts, a significant climb from December's No. 56. The Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack also experienced a substantial boost, rising 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 US.
This success on PC raises questions about Square Enix's future cross-platform strategies. Piscatella commented on the impact of the Steam release on publisher perception, stating that while internal factors are unknown, the consumer response was overwhelmingly positive. He emphasized the growing trend of PC releases benefiting third-party publishers, making single-platform exclusivity increasingly challenging without substantial platform incentives.
Elsewhere on the charts, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Madden NFL 25 maintained their top positions. Donkey Kong Country: Returns debuted at No. 8, solely based 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 promotion, particularly in the last week of January, and sustained 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 January 2024, partly due to a shorter tracking period this year (four weeks versus five). Accessories, content, and hardware spending all experienced significant year-over-year declines. Despite this, PS5 remained the best-selling hardware in both units and dollar sales.
Top 20 Best-Selling Games (US, January 2025):
- 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.
