Final Fantasy XVI surpasses 3.5 million copies, but sales pace worries fans and investors

Almost a year after its release, Final Fantasy XVI finally had its sales updated by Square Enix, but the numbers are not as encouraging as expected for one of the biggest franchises in the industry. The RPG, which hit the market in June 2023, was announced with great fanfare, exclusive to PlayStation 5, and in its first week sold 3 million copies — a respectable number, but already falling short of other titles in the series, such as Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Now, according to the latest Square Enix financial report, released this week, President Takashi Kiryu confirmed that Final Fantasy XVI has surpassed the 3.5 million units sold mark. In other words, since the previous update, the game has only sold an additional 500,000 copies, even after the highly anticipated release for PC in September 2024.

"In addition, Final Fantasy XVI, released in June 2023, has surpassed the 3.5 million copies sold mark to date," stated Kiryu during the investor conference.

In a comparative scenario, the report also highlighted that Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, for example, has surpassed the 2 million copies mark, while the recently released Life is Strange: Double Exposure incurred significant losses, impacting the company's operational profit in the third quarter of the current fiscal year, ending in March 2025.

"Square Enix saw Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake achieve tremendous success, surpassing 2 million copies sold. However, this result was offset by the significant losses of Life is Strange: Double Exposure, leading to a drop in operational profit."

The expectation was that the release of Final Fantasy XVI for PC, along with updates and expansions, could revitalize the title's sales. However, the impact was modest, suggesting that the initial hype did not sustain long-term.

Since the release, Square Enix had already stated that it was not disappointed with the game's commercial performance, although it recognized that it fell short of expectations when compared to the success of Final Fantasy VII Remake.

The future of Final Fantasy XVI, however, may still hold surprises. Rumors indicate that a version for Xbox Series X|S is in development, which could bring new commercial momentum to the game. However, no official announcement has been made so far.

Meanwhile, Final Fantasy XVI remains available for PlayStation 5 and PC, and despite being well received by critics for its mature narrative and action-oriented combat system, it now faces the challenge of sustaining the interest of an increasingly demanding and competitive audience within the RPG genre.

The number 3.5 million copies is undoubtedly a significant milestone — but for a title with the weight and investment of Final Fantasy XVI, the feeling that remains is that of a success below its potential. It remains to be seen what the Square Enix next steps will be to revitalize the title and the franchise.