Indie Developer Criticizes Valve's Steam Commission, Calls It "Robbery"
It's no secret that game developers often view Steam's commission fees as extortionate. This is especially true for indie developers, who face an uphill battle to turn a profit.
Indie developer Tomas Sala, creator of the aerial combat simulator The Falconeer, recently shed light on just how much a small studio needs to earn to break even. According to Sala, an indie game needs to rake in a staggering $500,000 or more in sales just to see a modest profit.
This is largely due to Valve taking a hefty 30% cut of all sales. Add to that the percentage claimed by publishers who help get games onto the platform, plus taxes and other expenses, and the developer is often left with a meager quarter of the revenue. This often fails to even cover development costs, which are frequently incurred during the developer's free time.
Sala emphasized that with such a high commission, Valve often earns more from indie titles than the developers themselves. He believes this practice is unsustainable and calls for a reduction in fees.
This isn't the first time developers have criticized Valve for its high Steam commission. In 2021, nearly every participant at the Game Developers Conference voted against the 30% platform fee. A lawsuit has even been filed against the company for its allegedly restrictive practices, a case that is still ongoing.
