https://youtu.be/bQtYvcIjvoQ

Many gamers believe Valve’s 30% cut on Steam sales is fair because it offers a robust platform with plenty of features to enhance the gaming experience. But as an indie developer, I’d like to provide a different perspective.

Imagine a small indie team earning $5 million in sales on Steam. With Valve taking 30%, that’s $1.5 million gone—money that could have been reinvested in development. If Valve reduced its fee to 15%, in this example it would mean an additional $750,000 for the developer. That’s enough to pay three skilled programmers $120k/year for two years or support a solo developer for over seven years!

Let’s put things into perspective; In 2023, the global PC game market generated $39.6 billion, with 50–70% of that coming through Steam. That’s about $22 billion annually or nearly $2 billion per month that Valve earns from its 30% share. Meanwhile, massive corporations like Ubisoft, EA, and Activision negotiate far lower fees. Shouldn’t indie developers, who often struggle to get by, have the same consideration?

If Valve truly cared about fostering creativity and supporting the game development community, they’d adjust their revenue share for indie studios. Lowering their cut to 15% could be a game-changer for small teams, giving them the financial freedom to continue building the games we love.

It’s time we stand together as a gaming community and demand that Valve share more of the success with indie developers. Sign this petition and help us create a fair future for independent creators!