Steam Hits Record $11.1 Billion Revenue in First Half of 2026
Steam generated an estimated $11.1 billion in gross revenue during the first six months of 2026, setting a new record for the platform’s strongest first-half performance. The total represents a 14.5% increase compared with the same period in 2025. Moreover, it exceeded the holiday-driven second half of 2025 by 8%, despite the latter traditionally benefiting from stronger seasonal sales.
The platform’s steady expansion highlights the continued strength of the PC gaming market. Over the past decade, Steam has significantly increased its revenue, rising from roughly $5.5 billion in annual revenue in 2017 to about $20 billion in 2025. Furthermore, revenue generated during the first half of 2026 alone surpassed Steam’s total revenue for all of 2020, when pandemic-related lockdowns fueled a global surge in game purchases.
Several Factors Continue to Fuel Growth
Multiple trends contributed to Steam’s record-breaking performance. Growth in the number of players across Asia, especially in China, played a major role. In addition, higher launch prices for new games, the popularity of viral cooperative titles, stronger back-catalogue sales strategies, and the return of third-party publishers all supported revenue growth.
Meanwhile, the platform also recorded a new milestone by releasing 9,265 games during the first half of 2026. As a result, developers entering the marketplace now face greater competition than ever before.
Older Games Dominate Revenue While New Releases Face Tougher Competition
A notable industry trend is the declining contribution of newly released games to overall Steam revenue. In the first half of 2024, titles launched that year generated 29% of total platform revenue. However, that share declined to 27% during the first half of 2025 and then dropped further to just 21% in the first half of 2026.
Consequently, older titles now account for 79% of Steam’s revenue. This shift reflects smaller graphical improvements between game generations and more effective use of discounts, bundles, and timed promotions to keep existing titles relevant.
Among the highest-grossing new releases during the first half of 2026 were Forza Horizon 6 with $197.7 million in Steam revenue, Resident Evil Requiem with $194.5 million, Crimson Desert with more than $190 million, and Slay the Spire 2, which generated $141.7 million after selling 7.1 million copies. Meanwhile, Meccha Chameleon led all games in units sold despite its $6 price, demonstrating that both premium releases and low-cost titles can achieve significant success on the platform.
Overall, the figures suggest that launching a successful new game has become increasingly difficult. Developers must compete not only with new releases but also with years of established titles that remain attractive through lower prices and ongoing promotional campaigns.
