When someone hears the name Square Enix, they usually think of Final Fantasy or maybe Dragon Quest, right? After all, those are the company’s most well-known brands.
However, the Japanese developer didn’t make its name solely through RPGs or spike-haired protagonists. In the not-so-distant past, Square was also a publisher and holder of globally recognized IPs, though few people knew about it.
Nowadays, the company is going through a restructuring phase to find its footing again, focusing on the portfolio of its most famous IPs, such as the ones mentioned above, while still trying to innovate here and there with some smaller titles.
And there’s merit to this new strategy, as I’ll show in this list of the 10 best-selling Square Enix games of all time — as of this writing — proving that, yeah, Final Fantasy is still a massive brand no matter how many bumps in the Chocobo road it finds.
I’m considering ports and some remasters, but not remakes. Also, numbers may vary because not all of them had their sales publicly disclosed by the company.
10
Final Fantasy XIII
8 Million
Known as the corridor simulator, or the most linear JRPG ever starring the female Cloud, also the auto-battler combat system and everything in between, nothing changes the fact that Final Fantasy XIII sold a lot — even landing Lightning the chance to star in a Louis Vuitton campaign.
However, I had to crunch some numbers here, and I’m counting on your leniency to accept Final Fantasy XIII’s sales figures.
The last official update from Square was in 2017, announcing that FFXIII sold over 5 million units on PS3, over 2 million on Xbox 360 (would you look at that), and then a few more on Xbox One because backward compatibility rocks.
Also, according to VGInsights and PlayTracker, FFXIII sold about 1 million units on Steam, thus bumping its sales total to over 8 million, give or take. Its direct sequels weren’t as successful but still sold over a million units each. Now, if only Square launched a remastered collection, eh.
9
Dragon Quest XI
8.5 Million
Dragon Quest XI launched simultaneously for PS4 and Nintendo 3DS, so I’ll include the sales numbers for both platforms. And gloriously, these digital sales figures came straight from Square Enix, in a press release announcing that Dragon Quest XI is the best-selling Dragon Quest title ever, with 8.5 million units shipped.
Ok, shipped, not sold. There’s a difference in the terms, but ultimately, both translate into profit for Square Enix. The thing about “shipped” is that it depends on retailers actually selling the games. But let’s be honest. In 2025, no one is ordering Dragon Quest XI’s physical edition anymore, so we can safely say 8.5 million units sold.
And it’s no wonder! Dragon Quest XI is a clear evolution of the JRPG formula created by the first Dragon Quest back in 1986. The narrative tone remains lighthearted and youthful but now features some heavier set pieces that suit its characters.
In terms of gameplay, combat remains as traditionally turn-based as possible, yet is presented in a more dynamic and modern way.
Dragon Quest XI is not only one of the best JRPGs in the industry, but also one of the most suitable contemporary entry points for those who have yet to get into the genre. Chances are, if you don’t enjoy the Luminary’s adventure, there aren’t many other JRPGs that will satisfy you.
8
Final Fantasy X
8.6 Million
The original Final Fantasy X on the PS2 — also known as my favorite offline Final Fantasy — sold extremely well at launch. And thank goodness, because it was this title that helped Square recover from the massive flop of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and convinced Enix to move forward with the companies’ merger.
The whole Final Fantasy X series, that is, the original PS2 game, its sequel, and the remastered version, sold more than 20 million copies, a staggering milestone. However, for this entry, I’m not counting the HD Remaster sales numbers. The 8.6 million sales number is for PS2 Final Fantasy X alone.
The adventures of Tidus, Yuna, and a colorful cast of summoner guardians brought a more traditional turn-based system back to the franchise while keeping the fantastical and youthful themes of its narrative, all the while tackling deep, emotional subjects. To this day, I can’t recall another ending that made me cry as much as Final Fantasy X’s did.
Its direct sequel, Final Fantasy X-2, also sold quite well, and I believe that’s thanks to the success of the original. If you haven’t yet played Final Fantasy X or never gave it a chance because of random encounters or turn-based battles, give it a shot. I assure you, this RPG is much more than a certain out-of-context laughing scene portrays it to be.
7
Final Fantasy IX
8.9 Million
Square Enix is spending all of 2025 celebrating Final Fantasy IX’s 25th anniversary, sparking debates, speculations, and endless rumors about a possible FFIX remake. As much as I’d love for that to be true, I won’t believe anything until a trailer is shown right in my face.
While Square hasn’t done that yet, it has shared other Final Fantasy IX tidbits, like its sales figures. On a website commemorating the title’s 25th anniversary, there’s a bit of info that interests us, stating that the ninth game in the Final Fantasy series has recorded cumulative shipment and download sales of more than 8.9 million units worldwide.
I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to have concrete sales numbers that don’t force me to crunch numbers and pull data from shady sites. Curiously, back when it launched, Final Fantasy IX received higher review scores from critics than FFVII and FFVIII, but its sales were lower than those of its predecessors.
Sakaguchi wanted Final Fantasy IX to be a return to the franchise’s roots, with a more medieval and fantastical setting compared to the contemporary style of the older titles. I have no idea if that’s what impacted its sales figures at the time, but today, it’s certainly one of the highest-selling games in Square Enix’s history. Final Fantasy IX Remake, we’re waiting for you.
6
NieR: Automata
9 Million
If you told me NieR: Automata had sold 9 million units, I’d say you’d lost your mind. I love the game, but there’s no way this deeply psychological and dramatically impactful title would sell that much, surpassing the numbers of most Devil May Cry entries. But, well, I’d be wrong, because it indeed has sold more than 9 million copies.
The source is Square Enix itself, which shared these incredible numbers in December 2024. Meaning, this figure is possibly outdated, and sales have likely gone up since then. And I hope you, dear reader, are among those buyers, because NieR: Automata is an insanely good game.
At first sight, it might look like just another hack ’n slash, involving a reticent android whose skirt sways way too much, a chatty partner trying to make their relationship more social, and a small robot assistant who applies logic at all times.
However, as we progress through the narrative, we get drawn into deep, intimately human themes that, ironically, can only be expressed through androids or machines. Hopefully, these sales will translate into a new entry in the NieR series.
5
Space Invaders
9.072 Million
One of the things that surprised me most while researching this article was finding out that Square Enix owns the Space Invaders IP. Yeah, that Space Invaders, the same one you see in any arcade scene from old movies, and which has spawned countless championships worldwide.
That’s because Space Invaders was developed by Taito, and Square bought the company in 2005, thus becoming the holder of Space Invaders rights.
It does sound a bit like cheating, kind of like Xbox bragging about its YoY 2024 revenue seeing a massive 51% increase, but that is mostly due to the purchase of Activision Blizzard. I mean, if you buy something, you own it. All that matters is pleasing shareholders.
So, that’s how Space Invaders is featured as one of Square’s best-selling titles. The same 1978 shoot ’em up arcade game that saved the industry after the 1977 crash. Still, the most impressive part is that the game sold 9 million units back in the day, making it the highest-grossing game of all time when adjusted for inflation.
4
Final Fantasy VIII
10 Million
Final Fantasy VIII is proof that it’s possible to ride the wave of success from a previous mainline title to draw attention and still be successful. I like FFVIII, but I know it’s not exactly most players’ cup of tea, mainly because of that boring Draw mechanic that really holds back the amazing Junction system.
Squall Leonhart’s game has surely sold over 10 million units. In a 2019 news release announcing the remastered version of Final Fantasy VIII, Square stated that the title had sold 9.6 million units. Since then, odds are extremely high it has crossed into eight-figure territory, and who knows, maybe even surpassed Final Fantasy XV.
I get the shade the game gets, even from Square Enix itself. On its 25th anniversary, for example, Final Fantasy VIII didn’t get even half the attention Final Fantasy IX has been getting. Yet, no matter how many whatever’s Squall drops, fans still love this taciturn and anxious character.
3
Final Fantasy XV
10.2 Million
In 2022, Square Enix JP announced on Twitter that Final Fantasy XV had surpassed 10 million units sold, a staggering figure for a recent mainline entry. Since then, the number has definitely grown, but since we don’t have concrete data, I’ll play it safe.
While I appreciate the huge sales numbers and always want to see one of my favorite franchises thriving, I must admit I’m a bit bitter about Final Fantasy XV’s launch — all due to the cancellation of Final Fantasy Versus XIII and how Square fragmented the former’s story into several DLCs.
Still, I get those who got emotional and enjoyed Noctis and his boy band’s journey, riding the convertible down Eos’ roads listening to Yoko Shimomura’s impeccable soundtrack, admiring visually stunning cutscenes, and bawling their eyes out at the campfire’s last cutscene.
My major gripe with the game is its shallow battle system. The trivialization of the magic system and the fact that you just need to hold one button to attack and another to dodge never clicked with me. Luckily, Square later found the perfect action combat formula in Final Fantasy VII Remake.
2
Final Fantasy VII
15.1 Million
It’s no wonder the one JRPG famously known for breaking global barriers for the genre and introducing Final Fantasy as a mainstream title would be among the top sellers, being the most sold single-player game not only in the franchise, but in Square Enix’s entire catalog.
According to Statista, Final Fantasy VII had sold 15.1 million units as of June 2025, counting its ports — but obviously not including its Remakes. These are incredibly impressive numbers, especially considering that in the year of its release, in 1997, the game sold almost 5 million units worldwide.
Over the years, and with the boost from both the modding community and the Remakes, Final Fantasy VII’s sales gradually grew, putting ex-SOLDIER Cloud Strife in the spotlight.
Final Fantasy VII is often cited by many as their gateway into JRPGs, both for other Final Fantasy entries and for the genre as a whole. It’s not my favorite, not even on the PS1, but I’ll always be grateful for everything this title did on its own for the genre.
1
Final Fantasy XIV
16+ Million
It’s hard to gauge Final Fantasy XIV’s total sales due to its MMORPG nature, but in 2022, Naoki Yoshida said during the 73rd Letter from the Producer stream that the game had reached 27 million registered users. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that in a three-year span, FFXIV could have surpassed 30 million users.
However, the keyword here is “registered” users, meaning they aren’t necessarily paying users. For those unaware, FFXIV has a very generous free trial, which inflates the number of users in the game.
Still, even if only 50% of all registered users ended up buying FFXIV, it would still be 15+ million players, which is why I placed it first. If you’re not happy with that, consider it in second place, and let’s still be friends.
Anyway, it’s no secret that in every fiscal report, Square Enix shows its MMO division as one of the most profitable. Many say it was thanks to Final Fantasy XIV’s boom during Shadowbringers and Endwalker that Square managed to stay relatively comfortable despite repeated flops or games underperforming expectations.
So, even if MMORPGs aren’t your thing and you don’t even consider FFXIV a mainline entry, know that at the very least it deserves your respect. Despite its disastrous start back in 2010, nowadays this single game is responsible for much of Square Enix’s revenue.
