January 2025 marked a typically quiet period for video game releases, with only one new title, Donkey Kong Country: Returns on Nintendo Switch, making it into the top 20 best-selling games. However, the month was notable for the resurgence of a game that had previously underperformed: Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth.

Launched in February 2024, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth initially secured the No.2 spot on Circana's charts, which track video game dollar sales in the U.S. Despite a strong start, the game's sales tapered off, slipping to No.7 in March and ending the year at No.17. Square Enix expressed disappointment, as the game did not meet their sales expectations and no official sales figures were released.

The game's fortunes changed in January 2025 when it became available on Steam, breaking its PS5 exclusivity. This move propelled Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth from No.56 in December to No.3 in January 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 success, noting it was 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 that a multi-platform release could be beneficial for future Final Fantasy titles. Piscatella commented that the strong consumer response on PC indicates the importance of releasing games on multiple platforms, regardless of genre or historical strategies. He added that exclusive releases are becoming increasingly challenging without significant incentives from platform holders.

Square Enix's next earnings call in May will provide further insights into their response to these developments.

In other news, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Madden NFL 25 continued to dominate the sales charts, holding the top two spots, respectively. Donkey Kong Country: Returns, a new release, secured the No.8 position based solely on physical sales, as Nintendo does not share digital sales data.

It Takes Two also made a notable return to the top 20 at No.20, buoyed by promotional efforts on the PlayStation store and eShop, as well as steady sales throughout the month. This resurgence aligns with the upcoming release of Hazelight Studios' next game, Split Fiction, set for March.

Overall, January 2025 saw a decline in spending compared to the previous year. The tracking period for January 2025 was four weeks long, compared to five weeks in 2024, contributing to a 15% drop in overall spending to $4.5 billion. Content spending decreased by 12%, with console content down 35%. Hardware spending fell by 45%, with PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch experiencing significant declines.

The top 20 best-selling games in the U.S. for January 2025, based on dollar sales, are as follows:

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.