Square Enix Says Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Didn't Meet Sales Expectations Amid Struggles

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth may have impressed critics and players alike, but it apparently didn't meet Square Enix's sales expectations. The company announced this as part of a wider slate of bad news earlier this month, as its key financial performance indicators were far lower than what analysts projected.

This sales shortfall isn't exclusive to FFVII Rebirth--Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy XVI and Foamstars also did not sell as much as the company forecasted. Per Bloomberg, its operating income of 32.5 billion yen represents a 26.6% year-on-year decrease from 2023, and the company projected an overall operating income of 40 million yen, well short of the 57 million yen average analyst projection.

Kiryu said that Square Enix would shift several aspects of its strategy as part of this announcement, prioritizing a multiplatform approach that contrasts strongly with its previous approach of releasing exclusively on PlayStation consoles. He also said that the company would focus on quality over quantity, cutting projects that are unlikely to be profitable. However, the president stated that it would take a while for these changes to bear fruit, stating "our winning formula is no longer effective."

In GameSpot's Final Fantasy VII Rebirth review, critic Tamoor Hussain praised the game's combat and character development, while taking issue with some of its convoluted narrative beats. "As a game that has the unenviable task of living up to one of the strongest legacies in the medium, it is a worthy second chapter," he wrote. "Whether Square Enix can bring it all together in the third and final part will be the subject of much discussion from here on out. Just like at Destiny's Crossroads, an unknown future beckons once again, and anything is still possible."