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How Much Does Steam Get per Game? Steam’s Revenue Share Explained

Steam generally keeps 30% of a game’s applicable net revenue, with lower marginal rates above $10 million and $50 million in qualifying revenue. The separate Steam Direct app fee is $100 USD or local equivalent.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
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Steam generally keeps 30% of a game’s applicable net revenue. For high-earning games, Valve’s announced graduated rates reduce Steam’s share to 25% on the portion above $10 million and 20% on the portion above $50 million. Those percentages are not automatically calculated from the game’s advertised price: Steam’s payment calculation accounts for applicable adjustments, and the developer’s signed agreement and sales report govern the actual figures.

What percentage does Steam take from game sales?

Steam’s standard share is 30% of applicable net revenue; the developer or publisher receives the remainder before its own expenses, taxes, and any allocation between parties under their contract. Valve describes the calculation as gross revenues minus applicable adjustments to reach net revenue, multiplied by the applicable revenue-share percentage. Steamworks’ payment and sales reporting documentation explains the calculation.

That means “30% per sale” is a useful shorthand, not a promise that Steam keeps 30% of every displayed retail price. Refunds, chargebacks, taxes, and other applicable adjustments can affect the net-revenue base. The specific terms in the signed Steam Distribution Agreement and the developer’s Steam sales report control the actual calculation.

How Steam’s reduced revenue-share tiers work

Valve announced the graduated rates on November 30, 2018, for covered revenue earned from October 1, 2018 onward. The thresholds are based on revenue, not copies sold, and the reduced percentage applies only to the revenue above each threshold—not retroactively to the game’s earlier revenue. The covered revenue streams include game packages, DLC, in-game sales, and Community Marketplace game fees. Valve’s announcement sets out the tiers.

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Qualifying revenue portion Steam’s share Developer/publisher share before its own costs and contracts
First $10 million 30% 70%
Above $10 million through $50 million 25% 75%
Above $50 million 20% 80%

For a simplified illustration, a game with $60 million in qualifying revenue under the announced rules would have a conceptual Steam share of $17 million: 30% of the first $10 million ($3 million), 25% of the next $40 million ($10 million), and 20% of the final $10 million ($2 million). This is marginal-tier arithmetic, not a quoted payout; the real calculation depends on the agreement and Steamworks reporting details.

How much would Steam keep from a $60 game?

At the standard 30% rate, 30% of a $60 listed price is $18 as simple arithmetic. But that is not a reliable estimate of Steam’s actual share from a particular transaction: the payment calculation uses applicable net revenue rather than simply multiplying the advertised price by 30%. Taxes, refunds, chargebacks, and other adjustments can change the base, and any applicable reduced tier depends on the game’s qualifying revenue. Use the title’s sales report for a real figure.

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Is the Steam Direct fee separate?

Yes. Steam Direct’s app fee is separate from Steam’s ongoing revenue share. Valve’s current Steam Direct Fee documentation lists a $100 USD fee, or local equivalent, for each new app. The fee is nonrefundable, but Valve says it is recoupable in a payment after the product reaches at least $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue from Steam Store or in-app purchases. It appears as a separate line in the monthly report, and taxes may apply to the fee depending on country-specific requirements.

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Where developers can verify the actual amount

For an estimate, apply the relevant marginal percentages to qualifying revenue rather than to units sold or the sticker price. For an actual accounting, check the Steamworks monthly sales report and the signed Steam Distribution Agreement; those are the appropriate references for the revenue base, adjustments, and payment due for a specific app.

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