Indie games on Steam generate almost as much revenue as AAA projects

A study conducted by Video Game Insights revealed that in 2024, the indie games segment came close to the revenue of AA/AAA games on Steam for the first time. From January to the end of September, indie games generated nearly $4 billion, accounting for 48% of all revenue on the platform.

This is a significant jump in the indie game segment's revenue compared to last year's meager 31%. While many indie titles collectively contributed to making this possible, Palworld and Black Myth: Wukong were the biggest hits of the current year.

For example, Black Myth: Wukong generated nearly a billion dollars in gross revenue on Steam alone this year, and Palworld brought in 394 million dollars. While one could argue whether the big-budget Wukong is truly an indie game, it is classified as such in the report since the studio self-published the title without involving an external publisher.

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Illustration author: Video Game Insights. Illustration source: Video Game Insights

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Cover author: Tech4gamers. Cover source: Tech4gamers