- Final Fantasy is one of the biggest JRPG IPs in the industry.
- The series had sold 180 million units just a few months ago.
- Over 5 million copies of the series have been sold since June.
Final Fantasy is Square Enix’s biggest asset. Having remained relevant for over 35 years, this JRPG franchise has spanned many console generations, offered various styles of gameplay, and delivered several memorable stories.
Square Enix continues to rely on the IP today, with Final Fantasy 16 being one of its biggest projects in 2023. Following 3 million sales for the game at release, the publisher has confirmed 185 million sales for the Final Fantasy series in total.
Why it matters: Square Enix has been struggling recently after its stock value declined below 5000 Yen. Therefore, such sales figures are encouraging and may lead to the publisher investing more in its biggest IPs.
While Final Fantasy 16 started strong, rumors claimed that many executives at Square Enix expected better results from the game.
Since then, the publisher has yet to provide an updated figure of the game’s sales. This has also been the case with Square Enix’s latest earnings report, perhaps suggesting that Final Fantasy 16 has not sold too many copies since its release.
Fortunately, the gaming giant has titles like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to fall back on. The second chapter in the new remake saga is coming on 29 February, and its anticipation may have resulted in a sales boost for the first remake.
Apart from the modern renditions, older classics are still held in high regard for many. Therefore, it appears many of these games are still being sold, with an overall impact of around 5 million sales.
As of June, the franchise had sold over 180 million units. Therefore, Square Enix sold 5 million more units over the past few months.
Apart from the sales, Square Enix continues to see a downward trend for its operating income YoY. Compared to last year’s report, operating income has declined by around 33%, but future projects may help the publisher recoup some of its losses.
In addition to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, a PC port for Final Fantasy 16 is expected to arrive next year. Therefore, such releases and more should help Square Enix make up lost ground.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
