According to the newly released White Paper on the Status of Distribution of Plays in the PC Game Distribution Platform, Rokky, more than half of the developers consider their game distribution to be over-reliant on the Steam Platform, and 72 per cent of respondents believe that the platform is monopolized in the PC Game Market.
The independent study, carried out by Atomik Research, was conducted between 18 and 22 May 2025 and visited 306 industry executives in the United States and the United Kingdom, 75 per cent of whom were at the senior management level and above, and 77 per cent from play studios with over 50 staff members. The study found that for most workshops, Steam contributed over 75 per cent of the income. However, data also show that developers have begun to expand platforms such as the Epic game store and the Xbox PC game store – nearly half (48 per cent) of the respondents had distributed games at both shops, and 10 per cent had used GOG and 8 per cent had used Itch.io.
Rokky indicated that, as a result of the survey sample, “predominantly based on large companies with multiple product lines”, the use of the Epic game store would be higher than that of the main service independent developer Itch.io. The study also found that 32 per cent of developers still distribute part of the game through the physical medium (CD-ROMs, tapes and box products with active codes). Third-party markets such as G2A and Kinguin, as well as electronic shops such as Fanatical, Humble Bundle, have also been selected as distribution channels. The advantages of these platforms, according to developers, include ease of operation, price autonomy, extension support and global reach.
The data show that 80 per cent of respondents expect to expand their distribution channels beyond Steam over the next five years, and 75 per cent believe that “at least 10 per cent income growth” can be achieved, particularly through third-party markets and electronic shops. However, developers are also concerned about grey market risks and potential loss of regulatory authority. The co-founder of Rokky and CEOWadim Andref noted: “The PC game distribution system is becoming more diverse, large and complex than ever as electronic stores and third-party markets are rising. New opportunities are everywhere, with pitfalls and challenges, and traditional channels remain important. It has never been so crucial to understand the subtle changes in the industry that we are issuing this focused report on the core of trends.”