Final Fantasy VII Rebirth received almost universal acclaim, but in terms of sales, it may lag behind FF7 Remake in at least one region…

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has been well received by gamers so far. But according to a new report, it may fall behind its predecessor in terms of sales. The second part of the FF7 Remake saga finally came out last week, and it picks up where the first game left off. Cloud and his allies leave the city of Midgar to escape the Shinra forces. FF7 Rebirth follows the plot of the original 1997 PS1 classic until the end of the second disc, expanding the story with a new story and side content.

So far, reviews of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth have been overwhelmingly positive, with much of the praise praising the game’s immersive plot and hours of playable content.

FF7 Rebirth is the fifth highest-rated entry in the legendary JRPG franchise. It is only surpassed by Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy XII, and Final Fantasy X. FF7 Remake Intergrade, Remake’s 2021 PS5 update, is at least two places behind FF7 Rebirth. However, the first post can still precede the follow-up in one crucial area: sales.

According to a Twitter post by GamesIndustry.biz head Christopher Dring, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has fallen behind FF7 Remake regarding box sales in the UK. It missed the opening weekend by nearly 30%. Dring points out that FF7 Remake was first released just as the UK’s COVID-19 lockdown began. All of this had an impact on his own physical sales.

However, this only applies to physical sales figures, as digital sales figures for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth won’t be released until the end of the week.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth physical sales lag behind FF7 Remake

The comments section of Christopher Dring’s recent post is full of speculation as to why FF7 Rebirth may be lagging behind its predecessor in terms of sales. Many believe this may be due to a decrease in the number of players buying physical media instead of digital games.

Another hypothesized factor is that the PlayStation 5 will still have a smaller player base than the PS4 when Final Fantasy 7 Remake is released in 2020, due in no small part to supply shortages caused by COVID-19 in the first few years of the PS5’s life.

Anyway, it bears repeating that Christopher Dring’s report that FF7 Rebirth is lagging behind the Remake in sales only applies to physical copies. And only in the UK. In the case of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, after accounting for the digital release data, the announced sales figures may even increase. Especially considering the positive reviews the game has received since its release in late February…

Source: X

In terms of UK boxed sales, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's opening week is down nearly 30% over the launch of the previous game. The first game came out during the peak of COVID lockdowns (gfk figures). Digital data arrives later in the week.

— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) March 4, 2024