Steam Game Revenue Calculator
Net revenue from a Steam release — 30% platform cut with the 25%/20% tiers above $10M and $50M, regional pricing and VAT, refunds, chargebacks and the Steam Direct fee.
How it works
realised price = list × (1 − discount) × (1 − regional); net = realised × units × (1 − refunds) × (1 − tax) × (1 − Steam %); Steam % = 30 → 25 above $10M → 20 above $50M
Valve keeps 30% of a game’s revenue after taxes are removed, dropping to 25% on revenue beyond $10 million and 20% beyond $50 million. The bigger erosions for a typical indie are upstream of that: seasonal discounts, regional prices set far below the US price, VAT in Europe and refunds (Steam’s two-hour policy makes 5–10% common). A $19.99 game rarely returns more than $10–11 a copy to the developer.
Worked example
20,000 copies at $19.99 with 15% average discount, 10% regional haircut, 12% tax and 8% refunds: $281k gross, $247k after tax, $173k to you — about $8.66 a copy.
Frequently asked questions
Is the $100 Steam Direct fee refunded?
Yes, once the game passes $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue.
Do wishlists convert?
Typically 10–20% of wishlists convert in the first year, mostly at launch and major sales — useful for forecasting units.
Related calculators
Platform fees change — every rate here is editable; confirm the current schedule on the platform’s fee page before relying on the result.