Square Enix Says Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Didn’t Meet Sales Expectations

Over the past two years, Final Fantasy fans have been treated to two major releases in the franchise that have been critically acclaimed. But according to Square Enix, Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth have failed to live up to the company’s sales expectations.

Square Enix had revealed the disappointing results during a financial results press conference in May, via IGN, but the company only released the information today. No sales figures for the games were provided, and the report did not specify how much the two titles deviated from Square Enix’s projections.

Takashi Kiryu, president and CEO of Square Enix, suggested that there may have been “cannibalization between our own titles” that led to this outcome. Final Fantasy 16 was released in June 2023, while Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth followed only eight months later in February 2024. Both titles dropped in the same fiscal year for Square Enix, which ended in March 2024.

It’s also possible that both Final Fantasy games were at a disadvantage because they were only available on PlayStation 5. Final Fantasy 16 only released on PC earlier this week, while Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth remains a PlayStation exclusive for now.

There’s no easy solution to this problem, especially since fans and critics seem to be very receptive to both titles. Without knowing actual sales figures, it’s hard to determine the true extent of the problem. Kiryu said the company would “organize its pipeline over the next three years,” presumably to avoid any future cannibalization of sales. He also promised to continue working to improve Square Enix’s profitability.