Microsoft ups the ante against Valve by offering more money to PC game developers
April 29, 2021 at 3:53 pm
(Microsoft image)
In a move to compete with Steam, Microsoft plans to increase the money it pays to developers who publish their games on the Microsoft Store.
Starting on August 1, the Microsoft Store will give those developers 88% of the net revenue from their games’ sales, up from 70%.
“Having a clear, no-strings-attached revenue share means developers can bring more games to more players and find greater commercial success from doing so,” Microsoft CVP Sarah Bond wrote on LinkedIn.
This can be readily interpreted as a shot across the bow to Valve Software’s Steam, the leading digital storefront for PC games. Developers who sell games on Steam receive 70% of their sales revenue below $10 million, with 30% of that going to Steam.