Despite garnering widespread praise from fans and critics alike, it seems that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is struggling in terms of sales, as indicated by a respected industry analyst. The potential underperformance of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth raises concerns about the overall popularity of the franchise.
In recent years, the Japanese gaming giant has faced challenges in achieving significant sales figures with its latest releases. In February 2023, Square Enix informed investors that the revenue from its console game sales in 2022 had declined across the board. This trend followed a series of commercial disappointments for the company in 2022 and beyond. Titles like Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Forspoken, and NEO: The World Ends With You all fell short financially, with the recent release Foamstars experiencing a 94% player drop in two months. Even Final Fantasy 16, initially lauded for its sales performance, failed to meet the company's high expectations, according to CEO Takashi Kiryu. Now, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth appears to join the list of underperforming titles.
Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, the director of research and insights at gaming market research firm Niko Partners, tweeted that Rebirth is not meeting sales expectations. Ahmad further explained that the game is selling approximately half of what Remake sold within the same timeframe and is projected to have weaker ongoing sales (prior to any PS Plus-like releases).
There are significant factors to consider in this analysis. It is not surprising that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth lags behind Remake in sales, given its exclusive release on PS5, which currently has a smaller user base compared to the PS4 during the original Remake launch. Moreover, the initial release of FF7 Remake coincided with the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, potentially inflating its sales figures. Nevertheless, the absence of official sales data for Rebirth over a month post-release raises concerns.
Square Enix Faces Sales Challenges in Recent Times
This disappointing sales update for Rebirth occurs amidst Square Enix's corporate restructuring and a shift in its business strategy. Recently, Square announced a renewed focus on internal AAA game development, reducing reliance on external developers and business units. Additionally, in July 2023, Square Enix revealed plans to expand game releases on Xbox, indicating a more diversified platform approach. Regardless, Square appears to have a challenging road ahead in enhancing sales performance for future titles following the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.