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How Much Does Steam Take From Game Sales?

Steam generally takes 30% of applicable net revenue, with lower marginal rates for qualifying revenue above $10 million and $50 million. The displayed game price is not necessarily the calculation base.
Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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Steam’s standard revenue share is generally 30% of a game’s applicable net revenue. Valve’s announced higher-revenue tiers reduce Steam’s share to 25% on the portion above $10 million and 20% on the portion above $50 million. Those percentages apply to net revenue under the Steamworks payment calculation—not automatically to the game’s displayed price.

How much does Steam take from each game sale?

Steam generally keeps 30% of applicable net revenue, and the developer or publisher receives the remainder before its own expenses, taxes, and any revenue split between those parties. Steamworks describes the calculation as gross revenues less applicable adjustments to reach net revenue, multiplied by the revenue-share percentage. The signed Steam Distribution Agreement governs the actual calculation and payment. Steamworks’ payment and sales reporting documentation explains the reporting framework.

That means Steam does not necessarily take 30% of the price a customer sees in the store. Refunds, chargebacks, taxes, and other applicable adjustments can affect the net-revenue base. A developer’s Steam Sales Report and current agreement are the relevant references for its actual figures.

How Steam’s revenue tiers work

Valve announced the tiered shares on November 30, 2018, for revenue earned from October 1, 2018 onward. The thresholds are revenue amounts, not copies sold, and the lower Steam share applies only to revenue beyond each threshold—not retroactively to earlier earnings. Valve’s announcement says the covered revenue includes game packages, DLC, in-game sales, and Community Marketplace game fees.

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Qualifying revenue portion Steam share Share remaining for developer/publisher before their own costs and allocation
First $10 million 30% 70%
Portion above $10 million through $50 million 25% 75%
Portion above $50 million 20% 80%

For a simplified illustration, if an application has $60 million in qualifying revenue under the announced tiers, the conceptual Steam share is $3 million on the first $10 million, $10 million on the next $40 million, and $2 million on the final $10 million—a total of $15 million. This is arithmetic using the announced marginal rates, not a quoted payout for a particular game; accounting and reporting details in the agreement govern real payments.

What happens to a $60 game?

At the standard 30% rate, 30% of a $60 listed price is $18, leaving $42 before the developer’s or publisher’s own costs and any contractual split between them. That is only a simple price-based illustration, not a reliable estimate of the payment from an individual sale: the applicable calculation uses net revenue after relevant adjustments, and the sale’s actual revenue base may differ from the displayed price.

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Is the Steam Direct fee part of the revenue share?

No. Steam Direct’s app fee is a separate $100 USD (or local equivalent) charge for each new app, not an additional percentage taken from every sale. Valve says the fee is nonrefundable but 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. Taxes may also be charged on the fee depending on country-specific requirements. See Steam’s Steam Direct Fee documentation.

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How to check the amount for a specific game

  1. Review the current Steam Distribution Agreement in your Steamworks account; it governs the revenue-share payment terms.
  2. Open the game’s Steam Sales Report and review the reported gross revenue, adjustments, net revenue, and applicable share.
  3. Account for any separate publisher or developer agreement, since Steam’s share is not necessarily the final amount an individual studio or creator receives.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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