self-publishing Archives

AppWizard

December 23, 2025

Steam’s PC Store Takeover: Why Its Near-Monopoly Worries Developers

Steam serves as a comprehensive library, hub for updates, and social space for PC gamers, influencing pricing structures and the survival of game genres. It revolutionized the PC gaming landscape by introducing automatic updates, a unified library, and a seamless purchasing experience. Steam has tens of millions of users online simultaneously, making its launches significant for publishers. Steam's features include Workshop mod distribution and community engagement tools, while its Steamworks services assist developers with refunds and compatibility issues. However, this convenience limits competition, as rival storefronts struggle to match Steam's established user base and pricing. Valve's commission structure is tiered: 30% for revenues under million, 25% for million to million, and 20% for over million. Legal battles, such as the one between Wolfire and Valve, highlight concerns about Steam's platform regulations and potential pricing restraints that inhibit competition. Steam allows self-publishing for developers through a 0 application fee, but visibility challenges lead many to resort to discounts and updates. The platform's dominance is reinforced by policies like the "price parity" requirement, which prevents lower prices on competing storefronts. This practice may maintain Steam's commission rates and market influence, raising questions about the future of competition in PC game distribution.

AppWizard

November 2, 2025

Remedy is ‘not satisfied’ with its Q3 results after FBC: Firebreak’s flop, and has ‘moved development resources’ to other games in production

Remedy Entertainment's cooperative shooter, FBC: Firebreak, launched in June, failed to meet expectations due to missing essential features and a compromised vision. The first major update, Breakpoint, did not attract the anticipated player influx, with current player counts around 25 on SteamDB. Following Firebreak's poor performance, Remedy issued a profit warning for 2025, and CEO Tero Virtala resigned. The Q3 2025 financial results showed a 32% revenue decline compared to Q3 2024 and an operating loss of €16.4 million, primarily due to a non-cash impairment of €14.9 million linked to Firebreak's sales. Interim CEO Markus Mäki expressed optimism about future projects and noted that self-publishing Firebreak has helped establish supportive structures for future titles. Development resources have shifted away from Firebreak, but the company plans to continue investing in it based on long-term sales expectations. Despite the setbacks, Remedy reported an increase in game sales and royalties from €0.8 million to €6 million compared to the same period in 2024, largely due to subscription service agreements and royalties from successful titles like Alan Wake 2 and Control. The studio's cash levels increased by €8.9 million over the previous quarter, and it is focusing on upcoming projects such as Control 2 and the Max Payne remakes.

AppWizard

October 4, 2025

Epic Games launches webshop service on PC and mobile

Epic Games has launched the Epic Web Shops service for PC and mobile platforms, enabling developers to monetize in-game content through self-publishing tools. Developers retain 100% of their first million in net revenue per title, transitioning to an 88/12 revenue split thereafter. Players earn Epic Rewards on purchases, and Web Shops will be featured on product pages. The service will be integrated into the Epic Game Store mobile app later this year, and developers must have a registered Epic Games Developer account to create a Web Shop. The service supports consumable sales but excludes Web3 games. Codename Entertainment has launched a live Web Shop for its game, Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms.

AppWizard

October 4, 2025

Epic Games introduces a webshop service available on both PC and mobile platforms

Epic Games has launched the Epic Web Shops service for PC and mobile users, allowing developers to create direct-to-consumer storefronts for in-game content. Developers can keep all earnings from their first million in net revenue, after which the revenue split is 88% for developers and 12% for Epic. Purchases through the Web Shops will earn players Epic Rewards. The Web Shops will be featured on product pages under a 'Web Shop' tab on PCs, with mobile support expected later this year. The service supports consumable sales but not Web3 games. Codename Entertainment is the first to implement a live Web Shop with their game, Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms.

AppWizard

October 3, 2025

Amnesia creator Frictional Games teases its next game, and it may be something new but it sure feels like SOMA

Frictional Games, known for horror titles like Penumbra, Amnesia, and SOMA, has teased their next project through a YouTube clip titled FrictionalNextProject.mp4, following an alternate reality game (ARG) that started with a SOMA update on September 22. This update addressed technical issues and hinted at deeper mysteries. Frictional Games is collaborating with Kepler Interactive for this project, marking a shift from their previous self-publishing model. The Hotel Samsara website, linked to the teaser, presents a narrative about a luxury experience gone wrong, featuring a character named Felix. The teaser suggests themes of neo-luxury and horror, reminiscent of SOMA's psychological horror elements. There is currently no official release timeline for the new game, but fans can sign up for updates on the Hotel Samsara website.

AppWizard

September 27, 2025

After reeling in 250k players, this new co-op FPS is finally adding an offline mode

Jump Space attracted 250,000 players during its opening weekend. The game received an 88% positive rating on Steam. Developer Keepsake Games is organizing its team into two tracks: one for enhancing stability and the other for creating new content. They are optimizing memory usage and refining the save system to prevent progress loss. Upcoming improvements include better in-game error messages, failover systems, and an offline mode. The next update will introduce hangar vendors, additional sectors, sector modifiers, and new melee weapons. The update is expected to be released in a couple of weeks, and Jump Space is available on Steam for .99 / £16.75.

AppWizard

July 23, 2025

The Girl From Arkanya Gets August 2025 Steam Release After Publisher Split

Developer Arkanya Games has announced that The Girl from Arkanya will be released on PC via Steam on August 21, 2025. The studio has shifted to self-publishing after ending its partnership with Top Hat Studios. A new trailer showcases the game's pixel art adventure, featuring puzzle-solving, dungeon crawling, and light combat, with the protagonist Marisa and her capybara companion. The game is inspired by The Legend of Zelda series and has faced delays since its initial announcement in 2020. The decision to self-publish was made due to disagreements over the project's direction, allowing Arkanya Games to set their own release timeline. The PC version will be released independently while discussions for console adaptations are ongoing.

AppWizard

March 27, 2025

PowerWash Simulator reaches 17m players

PowerWash Simulator has surpassed 17 million players since its launch, with 12 million reported by April 2024. The game saw a growth of five million players in 11 months. A sequel is in development, and FuturLab, now acquired by Miniclip, is set to self-publish it.

AppWizard

February 14, 2025

Epic Games Store has more PC players than ever – 295 million, in fact

Epic Games Store attracted 295 million PC players over the past year, an increase of 25 million since 2023. The platform has 898 million Epic cross-platform accounts, up by 94 million, with a collective playtime of 2.68 billion hours. The game catalog expanded by 1,100 new titles, supported by Self-Publishing Tools allowing developers to retain 100 percent of their revenue. The Free Games Program has provided over ,000 worth of premium PC titles through 89 giveaways, continuing into 2025. Daily Active Users (DAU) peaked at 37.2 million, while Monthly Active Users (MAU) declined slightly from 75 million to 74 million. DAU increased by 6 percent to 31.5 million, and MAU grew by 6 percent to 67.2 million. Popular titles include Genshin Impact, Rocket League, Honkai Star Rail, GTA 5, and Fortnite. The Now on Epic program will extend until January 31, 2026, including mobile games. Third-party gametime rose from 2.41 billion hours in 2023 to 2.68 billion in 2024, an 11 percent year-over-year growth. The Walt Disney Company acquired a .5 billion stake in Epic Games, initiating a multi-year partnership for a games and entertainment universe linked to Fortnite.

AppWizard

February 14, 2025

Epic Games Store Year in Review Released – Players Spend 2.68 Billion Hours Playing Third-Party PC Titles

The Epic Games Store reported over 295 million PC users in 2024, an increase of 25 million from the previous year, and a total of 898 million Epic cross-platform accounts, up by 94 million since 2023. Players logged 2.68 billion hours in third-party games, and 1,100 new titles were added to the catalog due to Self-Publishing Tools. In December, there were 74 million Monthly Active Users, with 89 free games offered throughout the year, resulting in 595 million claims. Players spent .09 billion on the platform, with 5 million on exclusive third-party titles. Future plans include expanding the Free Games Program to mobile platforms and enhancing the Epic Games Store Mobile App, along with supporting AAB file types and mobile self-publishing tools. Upcoming titles include Splitgate 2, 33 Immortals, Killing Floor 3, Borderlands 4, and Cronos: The New Dawn.