What reaches the studio?
One US$10 sale
Theo follows one sale: a player buys Shard Garden's Garden Pack on Steam for US$10.00 (before tax). How much reaches the studio depends on how much the game has earned on Steam so far.
Try it
What reaches the studio?
Find the moment the studio receives US$7.50 from the sale.
Quick check
Why does the studio receive US$8.00 when the game has earned US$60 million?
- Beyond US$50 million, Steam keeps 20%
- Steam always keeps 20%
- Big games pay no fee
Show the answer
Beyond US$50 million, Steam keeps 20%
20% of US$10 is US$2, so US$8 reaches the studio.
Per game
Valve's words are "the revenue share for that application": each game climbs the tiers on its own. A studio's second game starts again at 30%.
Two games
1Shard Garden: US$20 million2New game: US$1 million
Theo checks the new game's sales. A player buys it for US$10. How much does Steam keep?
- US$3.00
- US$2.50
- US$2.00
Show the answer
US$3.00
The new game has earned under US$10 million, so its sales are split 70/30, whatever Shard Garden earned.
The same sale on Epic
On Epic, a game under US$1 million of net revenue this year keeps 100%. Above it, Epic keeps 12%.
Quick check
Shard Garden has earned US$3 million on Epic this year. A US$10 sale: how much reaches the studio?
- US$8.80
- US$10.00
- US$7.00
Show the answer
US$8.80
Above US$1 million, Epic keeps 12%: US$1.20 of US$10.
On the studio board
The studio adds a decision to the board:
Stores are compared by what reaches the studio from a sale, not by the headline fee.
Bolt says: Next: web shops and other ways to pay.
Fact-checked 12 October 2026
- Steamworks: New revenue share tiers (1 Dec 2018) steamcommunity.com
- Epic Games Store: Distribution store.epicgames.com