Overview
- Alinea Analytics estimates Steam generated about $11.1 billion in gross revenue in the first half of 2026, putting the platform on pace for its most lucrative year on record.
- A small set of high-priced new releases produced outsized returns, with titles such as Forza Horizon 6, Resident Evil Requiem and Crimson Desert each approaching $200 million in Steam sales.
- Back-catalog sales still account for the bulk of spending, with new releases making up less than one-fifth of revenue and that share falling year on year.
- The report credits growth in China, viral multiplayer hits and returning publishers who abandoned standalone launchers for Steam as central drivers of the revenue spike.
- Analysts warn the concentration of spending on a few big games and catalog longevity is making discoverability harder for small studios and could reinforce Steam’s dominant market role, raising risks for competition and developer livelihoods.