72% of devs think Steam is a monopoly. The other 28% might be seeing a wider PC future
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Steam, monopoly, and the 72 percent headline
For more than a decade, Steam has been the gravitational center of PC gaming. If you build on PC, you probably ship on Steam first. If you play on PC, you likely browse Steam daily. A recent whitepaper adds a stark datapoint to that everyday reality: 72% of game developers surveyed believe Steam has a monopoly on the PC games market.
At face value, that is a striking consensus. But as with any strong headline, context matters. The study also shows how distribution is evolving, why some developers push back on the monopoly framing, and where new platforms like RAIDR are working to expand choice, improve discoverability, and support fair monetization without adding friction for players.
What the whitepaper actually says
The report, titled "The State of PC Game Distribution" and published by distribution platform Rokky, summarizes an independent survey conducted by Atomik Research. It queried 306 executives in the UK and US over a short window in late May. According to the summary, a strong majority of respondents view Steam as a monopoly, and many of the studios surveyed are heavily reliant on Valve's platform for revenue.
There are important caveats. The sample skews toward larger organizations and senior leadership. Most respondents were C-suite decision makers, and 77% came from companies with more than 50 employees. That lens colors the picture: bigger teams with bigger titles often optimize for reach and operational scale, where a single storefront with a massive audience can feel not only dominant, but effectively unavoidable.
The report also notes that developers are distributing elsewhere, albeit unevenly. Nearly half of respondents said they had shipped to the Epic Games Store or the Xbox PC storefront, while far fewer had used GOG or itch.io. And yet, 80% said they expect to use alternative channels alongside Steam within five years, including established storefronts and bundle specialists like Humble Bundle and Fanatical.
Why the other 28 percent might disagree
If 72% see a monopoly, why does nearly a third of the sample not agree? A few pragmatic reasons stand out:
First, access and alternatives do exist. Steam is dominant, but it is not the only way to sell PC games. Stores like Epic and Xbox, DRM-free options like GOG, indie-first platforms like itch.io, subscription channels, key resellers, and bundle partners all create parallel paths to players. That is distribution plurality, even if one channel captures the majority of purchasing behavior.
Second, the product experience gap has narrowed. Steam's social, community, and discovery tools are widely praised, but other platforms have matured significantly. Cross-play support, cloud saves, overlay features, and improved refund policies are more common than they used to be. For some developers, that rising tide looks less like a monopoly and more like healthy, if uneven, competition.
Third, audience segmentation matters. Not every game chases the same player. Niche communities thrive on platforms that center discovery around genre, curation, or community norms. A thoughtful simulation or a narrative indie may outperform on a platform where editorial and community curation are tighter, even if the overall traffic is smaller.
Finally, strategy is shifting. Many teams now plan for multi-channel distribution from day one. They build out wishlists on Steam, partner for bundles, keep a direct sales option, and explore new storefronts with specific goals in mind: reaching new regions, tapping into a particular community, or testing alternative monetization models.
Dominance vs monopoly: a practical lens for PC devs
It helps to separate two ideas that often get blurred. Dominance is an observable reality in market share and mindshare: Steam is where most PC players discover and buy games. Monopoly, in the legal sense, is a different and much more technical claim.
For developers and players, the practical question is broader: does dominance limit choice, innovation, or fair returns for creators? And if so, what can we do about it?
- If you are a developer, dominance can mean discovery is harder, marketing costs are higher, and your exposure to one platform's policies and algorithms is riskier.
- If you are a player, dominance can be convenient but can also limit experimentation in pricing, curation, accessibility, and community features.
This is where more competition can be a win for everyone. Healthy alternatives encourage storefronts to improve creator tools and lower friction for players. They provide room for different business models, from premium to free-to-play, and support varied community norms and accessibility standards.
What this means for indie developers right now
For smaller teams, the data is both sobering and empowering. The sobering part is obvious: if most of your peers say the bulk of their revenue comes from one storefront, you cannot ignore it. The empowering part is that you do not have to settle for a single path.
A realistic plan for an indie release today might layer channels for different purposes. You build your primary funnel where the largest audience lives. You leverage bundles and featured promotions to spike awareness at key moments. You use community-driven platforms to cultivate superfans and gather feedback. You keep an eye on regional storefronts and marketplaces that can unlock audiences you might never reach otherwise.
This layered approach does more than spread risk. It can give you richer data, clearer audience insights, and more negotiating leverage. It also aligns with how players actually discover games: through creators they trust, communities they belong to, and friends they play with.
How RAIDR approaches distribution, discoverability, and fair play
RAIDR exists to make that layered strategy easier while staying true to players. Our mission is simple and stubborn: Play Free. Stay Free. We want players to enjoy a truly free-to-play experience without predatory hooks, and we want creators to be rewarded fairly for the value they bring.
For developers, RAIDR focuses on three pillars:
- Discoverability that favors craft, not spam. We believe curation should amplify quality and protect players from noise. That means centering community signals and clear, honest presentation rather than pay-to-win visibility.
- Fair monetization for creators. Free-to-play can be fair, and premium can be sustainable, when incentives are aligned. RAIDR aims to support models that reward developers for long-term player satisfaction rather than short-term gimmicks.
- Accessibility and community first. We are building a culture where access, inclusion, and transparency are not afterthoughts. That covers readable store pages, clear content warnings, and support for a broad spectrum of players.
For players, RAIDR is designed to be lightweight, respectful, and welcoming. A launcher should add value, not friction. It should help you discover great games, connect with creators and communities, and play without surprise costs or confusing lock-ins.
We will not pretend the PC distribution landscape is easy. It is complicated, and it is changing. But that is exactly why alternatives matter. When creators have more ways to reach players and players have more trustworthy places to discover games, dominance stops feeling like destiny.
Practical next steps for studios and creators
Whether you agree with the 72% or sit with the 28%, the following steps can improve your odds in a crowded marketplace:
- Design your channel mix deliberately. Treat Steam as foundational if it fits your audience, but define clear roles for alternatives: bundles for spikes, niche platforms for depth, regional channels for reach, and community hubs for feedback.
- Invest in audience building early. Wishlists, mailing lists, and community presence are compounding assets. Consistent updates and transparent roadmaps build trust wherever you sell.
- Align monetization with your community. If you are free-to-play, focus on value-driven cosmetics, expansions, or passes that respect time and wallet. If you are premium, consider demos, prologues, or timed discounts that let players try before they buy.
- Measure across channels. Even simple tracking of referral sources, conversion, and retention can reveal where your real fans live and what messaging resonates.
- Protect your time. Every new storefront adds overhead. Choose the few that match your audience, values, and capacity, and iterate from there.
What players should take from this
As a player, a headline about monopolies can feel abstract. The concrete takeaway is more hopeful. Competition pushes platforms to earn your attention with better discovery, smarter recommendations, friendlier policies, and clearer communication. It encourages fairer monetization and more transparency.
Most of all, your choice matters. Where you follow creators, where you buy, and how you engage with communities all shape the ecosystem. If you want more experimentation, more indies that take risks, and more games that respect your time and budget, support the platforms and studios that share those values.
The big picture: a market in motion
The whitepaper's 72% figure captures a moment of truth about PC gaming. Steam is the default for many, and it may feel like the only practical option when the stakes are high and resources are limited. But the same study also points to a near-term future where most developers plan to use multiple channels.
That is where RAIDR is focused: expanding choice for players, creating sustainable paths for creators, and building a community that puts trust first. Dominance does not have to harden into inevitability. When developers, players, and platforms pull in the same direction, the market gets better for everyone.
Play Free. Stay Free. That is not just a tagline. It is a promise to players and a commitment to creators.
Join the conversation
What do you think the 28% see that the rest might be missing? If you are a developer, how are you balancing reach and sustainability across storefronts? If you are a player, what convinces you to explore beyond your default launcher?
We would love to hear your perspective. Connect with us, challenge us, and help us shape a PC gaming ecosystem where great games thrive and communities feel at home.
Written by Rune Art Ltd for RAIDR, with a community that believes choice, fairness, and accessibility are not extras -- they are the point.