In recent developments, Square Enix has reported that two of its major releases, Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, did not meet the company’s anticipated sales targets. This revelation emerged during a financial briefing held in May, with the details coming to light only now.
Square Enix did not disclose specific sales figures, making it unclear just how far both titles strayed from projections. Takashi Kiryu, president of Square Enix, noted that “cannibalization between our own titles” might have influenced these results, as Final Fantasy 16 launched in June 2023, followed closely by Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in February 2024, both within the same fiscal year concluding in March 2024.
Additionally, the exclusivity of both games to the PlayStation 5 may have impacted their sales potential. While Final Fantasy 16 just became available on PC, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth remains exclusively on PlayStation.
Given the positive reception from fans and critics, the lack of transparent sales data leaves uncertainty regarding the magnitude of the shortfall. Kiryu stated that Square Enix plans to “curate our pipeline over the next three years” to mitigate future sales complications and enhance profitability moving forward.
