Steam Summer Sale Breathes Life Into ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ and Other Older PC Games | Chart
Valve’s Steam, the dominant sales platform in PC gaming (wherein the majority of PC games are bought and sold), is having its big annual summer sale, which puts deep discounts on a vast collection of storefront content. As a result, old bestsellers with long, long legs are seeing a resurgence in top-tier revenue gains. Massive AAA games from previous years (“Cyberpunk 2077,” “Elden Ring”) are back in the top 10 revenue earners lineup despite their peak relevance having passed long ago.
The No. 1 spot in the weekly top 10 revenue earners on Steam was earned by Valve’s own Steam Deck hardware, which is seeing a variable discount as part of the summer sale (the $400 model is 10% off, the $530 model is 15% off, and the $650 version is 20% off). The hardware, which is essentially a portable, handheld PC primarily built for gaming on the go, has proven popular with a dedicated audience, hence its staying power on the top 10 list. Its three-figure price tag gives it a foundational revenue advantage over software (chiefly games, which typically cap out at $70), but still, the handheld is estimated to pass three million units sold in 2023, suggesting the niche device isn’t doing too shabbily.
The No. 2 overall revenue slot went to “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” a free game with a microtransaction economy that reaps boatloads of money every week. For frame of reference, “CS: GO” has been in the top 100 revenue earners on Steam for 569 weeks straight.
The No. 3 slot was claimed by “BattleBit Remastered,” a fresh indie-developed massively multiplayer military shooter that’s been winning fans fast and furiously. It’s up to nearly 40,000 reviews just three weeks since launch and retains a “very positive” overall ranking, which bodes well for the future of the independent title currently selling for $15 flat. There’s no discount in the summer sale for this new title, but its low base price and strong word of mouth have kept it as the top paid game of the week.
At No. 4 was “Dave the Diver,” a strange indie adventure game about a diver named Dave. It blasted onto the scene just one week ago and has already racked up almost 20,000 reviews with an aggregate score of “overwhelmingly positive.” Specifically, 96% of reviews are “thumbs ups,” at present. It’s seeing a 10% discount against its launch price of $20, but such small savings are unlikely to be the driving force behind the indie title’s explosive debut success. As one positive review put it, citing the OceanGate Titanic sub disaster, “Imagine Paying $250k to see the bottom of the ocean when instead you could of just bought this.”
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Slot No. 5 can be attributed to the summer sale, as “Elden Ring,” a majorly popular action-roleplaying game from 2022, hasn’t been in the top 10 bestsellers by revenue for a while. Now, with its $60 tag sliced down to $42 via a 30% discount, it’s reclaiming some of the earnings power it had back in early 2022 when it initially launched.
Slot six went to “Six Days in Fallujah,” the controversial $40 early access game that’s centered around the Iraq War and is, according to reviews, a bit too light on content to warrant its current price tag. Despite the game’s divisive subject matter and some concerns about the title’s overall value proposal, “Fallujah” remains in the top 10 two weeks into its release.
“Hogwarts Legacy,” Warner Bros. Games’ popular Wizarding World open-world adventure title, returned to the top 10 (slot No. 7, specifically) thanks to Steam’s summer sale. The game, which released in February, hasn’t seen a widespread discount until now, so the current 20% off its usual $60 tag is likely responsible for luring in a lot of bargain hunters who’ve been waiting to pull the trigger.
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“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” remained strong during the June 27-July 4 frame, nabbing spot No. 8. It’s been in the top 10 for a long time, even having scored two separate slots on the list a few weeks back. During the summer sale, at 45% off its usual $70 tag, it’s capably fending off the resurgence of best-selling titles that are gobbling up revenue and climbing the ranks thanks to strategic discounts.
“Apex Legends,” a free battle royale title, came in at slot No. 9 thanks to its microtransaction economy. It’s been on the list for 139 weeks and counting, showing no signs of dropping off the map anytime soon.
Lastly, slot 10 went to “Cyberpunk 2077,” CD Projekt Red’s singleplayer open-world roleplaying game. Despite the game having launched in December 2020 to boatloads of controversy and anger over its dodgy technical state, it’s slowly recovered its reputation thanks to sustained care from the developers and now, almost three years later, it’s once again cracked the top 10 bestsellers list. The game is 50% off right now ($30, down from $60) and currently has almost 550,000 Steam reviews with an overall rating of “mostly positive.”
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