A new industry study suggests something a lot of developers have quietly believed for years: Steam’s grip on the PC market feels like a monopoly.
According to a whitepaper from PC distribution platform Rokky (h/t GamesIndustry), 72% of studios surveyed believe Steam has a monopoly on PC gaming. The report — titled “The State of PC Game Distribution” — surveyed 306 industry executives across the United States and the United Kingdom earlier this year. Nearly all respondents were senior-level, and most came from studios with 50 or more employees.
And it’s not just perception — the revenue data backs it up. A majority of the studios surveyed said Steam accounts for over 75% of their total PC revenue, which explains the reliance. Still, developers are branching out, as almost half say they’ve put games on the Epic Games Store and the Xbox PC store, while smaller slices have used GOG (16%) and Itch.io (8%).
The survey notes that because most respondents represent larger studios, platforms like Epic show up more often than indie-focused stores such as Itch.io. But even with Steam’s dominance, developers are trying to diversify. Some are still shipping physical releases (discs, cartridges, and “keys-in-boxes”), and many are tapping into marketplaces like Humble Bundle, Fanatical, G2A, and Kinguin for added reach.
There’s optimism, too. 80% of respondents expect to rely more on alternative storefronts within the next five years, and 75% believe doing so could bump revenue by at least 10%. But there are concerns — especially around gray-market key reselling and giving up control over pricing and distribution.
Speaking to GamesIndustry, Rokky CEO Vadim Andreev summed up the current landscape, saying PC distribution is broader, messier, and more complex than ever. There are more opportunities for exposure, but also more pitfalls to navigate.
New opportunities are everywhere – as are pitfalls and challenges. And most of the old guard remain relevant. Understanding the nuances has never been more important, and so we created this report to highlight the trends that matter.
To bring this a bit closer to home for sports-gaming fans: Football Manager 26 doesn’t have independent distribution either. On PC, the game is currently only available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store. It’s also part of Xbox PC Game Pass, but only until the next entry arrives — another example of how even major publishers still rely on the same handful of storefronts to reach players.
