Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth came out on PlayStation 5 on February 29, welcomed by record-high critical scores and the adulation of fans who’ve waited for years to find out how an iconic death will translate on modern platforms. Two weeks later and Square Enix still hasn’t released a statement regarding the game’s sales, which is a problem – the rest of the world has already reported on the decline.
The earlier data from the United Kingdom and Japan hinted at a notable decline in sales compared to the first entry in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy and Final Fantasy 16. It appears the trend has continued, at least in Japan, where Famitsu is reporting that FF7 Rebirth sold less than 25,000 units in its second week. This steep drop-off is particularly noteworthy; Japan is Final Fantasy’s home country. The presumed enduring popularity of Final Fantasy in Japan should’ve guaranteed better numbers even if sales almost always drop in their second week.
What’s particularly telling is Square Enix’s continued silence. Historically, the company has been prompt in sharing the sales achievements for its major titles. This departure from the norm speaks volumes. It implies a reluctance to confront a narrative of decline.
The best-case scenario is that FF7 Rebirth sold well digitally, implying that its efforts to get players invested in the trilogy with the two-game bundle worked. But what if the game didn’t meet the lofty expectations set by its predecessor?
Critics and fans have praised the sequel for its narrative depth, gameplay innovations, and visual splendor. For fans, it’s the best game in the Final Fantasy franchise in a long time if not ever. However, as former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden put it, gamers only have so much time to play and money to spend.
While FF7 Rebirth‘s length and amount of content makes it excellent value for those of us who love JRPGs, it’s also the kind of game that takes a lot out of you.
With fewer players willing to spend over a hundred hours seeing a game through completion and the fact that the PS5 has a comparatively smaller install base compared to the PS4 at the time of FF7 Remake‘s release, it’s no wonder then the FF7 Rebirth isn’t selling well.
In comparison, the latest mainline entry in the franchise, which was heavily criticized for its comparatively low sales (this was later proven to be false, by the way), catered more towards casual audiences. Although this may have drawn backlash from longtime series fans, FF16‘s lower barrier of entry got a lot of newer gamers hooked into Final Fantasy. Unfortunately, those same players will find out from the two demos alone that FF16 and the ongoing remake trilogy have distinctly different styles and gameplay.
Now, FF7 Rebirth is enjoying the end of a historically excellent year for the PS5; most of those who wanted to get a PS5 no longer had to worry about a stock shortage.
If anything, Sony is trying to get rid of existing PS5 units, selling them at a discount in certain areas for a limited time. At the time of FF16’s release, Sony had sold roughly around 36 million PS5 units – a considerably lower amount compared to its current sales figures.
This year was supposed to be huge for Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy 14 is finally headed to Xbox and FF16 getting a second DLC and a PC port. But this sales dip might prompt another examination of Square Enix’s current strategy. Its heavy investment in high-spec, exclusive titles may no longer justify their budgets through sales alone. This is an approach that, while ambitious, risks catering only to a shrinking number of fans while alienating a larger portion of the playerbase where once-obscure franchises like Yakuza and Persona, among others, are making significant inroads.
If fewer people are interested in seeing the complete Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy as time passes, it might affect the company’s overall plans for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, the ambitious finale that will feature a scene that may top the trilogy’s best yet.
If that happens, what’s next? Does Square Enix cancel its plans to remake Final Fantasy 9 and Final Fantasy Tactics? Does it drop its current AAA-centric approach? Or will the Japanese gaming giant stay the course and wait for Kingdom Hearts 4 and the next Final Fantasy game to change the narrative?
