The clear-as-sun GOTY contender, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, has claimed the top spot in Japanese physical sales charts, selling 262,656 copies in its launch week.
Although this figure only accounts for physical sales, it is 22% less than the previous main entry, Final Fantasy XVI, which sold 308,794 copies in its launch week, and 63% less than its predecessor, Final Fantasy VII, which sold 702,853 copies in its launch week. It’s worth noting that the original game, released on PlayStation 1, sold a whopping 2,034,879 copies in its launch week. However, the general decline in sales for the Final Fantasy series has been evident for a while, as this trend reflects the sales for console video games in Japan’s Switch-dominated market.
Back in June, the media and fans criticized Final Fantasy XVI, hinting for it being a failure, claiming its diverged from the golden age of the series with its turn-based format compared to its action format caused such a decline in sales. However, seeing the most beloved title in the series fall below Final Fantasy XVI, gives the 16th installment the leverage to boast about being the best launch title on PlayStation 5 to date (until Monster Hunter or Dragon Quest come into play sooner or later).
