GoKawiilNorthend Games co-founder details $560K Steam revenue shrinking to $15K yearly take-home
Omer Develioğlu, co-founder of Northend Games, published a breakdown showing that $560,000 in gross sales across two Steam titles—Northend Tower Defense and Deepstone Rift—over five years and 135,000 units ultimately left him and his co-founder with just $134,000 to split, and $73,000 after further costs. He says that works out to roughly $15,000 per year for him personally.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The breakdown illustrates how refunds, platform fees, and taxes can erode indie developer revenue well below headline sales figures, which may temper assumptions that commercial success on Steam translates into substantial income. Develioğlu's figures, including a 22% refund rate from Chinese customers, are described as consistent with third-party data he cites, suggesting the issue may extend beyond his own case to other developers reliant on that market.
- Two Northend Games titles grossed $560,000 across 135,000 Steam sales over five years.
- Refunds (22% rate, largely from China), Steam's 30% cut, and U.S. withholding taxes sharply reduced the final payout.
- The co-founder says he ultimately took home about $15,000 annually despite the strong gross sales figures.
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Published there as: “Two Steam games generated $560,000 across 135,000 sales, but the co-creator only took home $15,000 annually”
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