Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth didn't meet expectations for Square Enix

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Cloud
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launched earlier in 2024 as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. (Image credit: Square Enix)

What you need to know

  • Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, two large Square Enix games, both launched as PlayStation 5 exclusives. 
  • According to a Square Enix financial results briefing from May 2024 that is now availably publicly, profits from Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth failed to meet expectations. 
  • Final Fantasy 16 recently launched on Windows PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store.
  • Square Enix has committed to launching more games as multiplatform releases.

Some of the biggest games of the last two years haven't met expectations. 

Publisher Square Enix confirmed in a May 2024 financial results briefing (that is now available publicly) that after launching big games including Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth "profits unfortunately did not meet our expectations." 

Final Fantasy 16 first arrived on June 22, 2023, while Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launched back on Feb. 29, 2024. Both games first launched as timed PlayStation 5 exclusives, with Final Fantasy 16 recently arriving on Windows PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. 

Final Fantasy 16 is now available on Windows PC after launching on PS5 in 2023. (Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 16 sold three million copies in its first week after launch. Square Enix has not yet publicized sales information for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but the title is currently the ninth best-selling game of the year in the U.S, per analytics group Circana.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's predecessor, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, first launched as a PlayStation 4 exclusive in 2020, receiving a PlayStation 5 version with new DLC in June 2021, with a PC version following in December 2021. As of September 2023, Final Fantasy 7 Remake has sold over 7 million copies.

Square Enix has announced plans to launch more multiplatform games, instead of consistently pursuing console exclusivity. Final Fantasy 14 producer Naoki Yoshida has noted that the company will be putting more games on Xbox, saying that "So with Final Fantasy 14 as the starting point, we do want to release more Square Enix games on Xbox, and there will be more of our titles released on Xbox. So I hope players will look forward to future things to come on the platform."

In addition to bringing the long-awaited Final Fantasy 14 to Xbox in 2024, Square Enix suddenly launched Octopath Traveler 2 on Xbox earlier this year. Looking ahead, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake is launching in November 2024, with remakes of Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest 2 following in 2025. 

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Samuel Tolbert
Freelance Writer

Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter @SamuelTolbert.