Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Steam key art
Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag cover art

Steam revenue analysis

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Steam Revenue & Sales Estimates

Ubisoft Montreal · Ubisoft

$66.8MEst. Gross Revenue

1,776,775 estimated sales, 89% positive reviews, and $50,431,177.80 potentially retained by the developer after Steam's platform fees.

Action89% Positive$39.99

Revenue Overview

$66.8M

Gross Revenue

$50.4M

Developer Revenue

1,776,775

Est. Copies Sold

$66.8M

Revenue / Year (avg. 1 yr)

$53.4MLow estimate
$66.8MBest estimate
$160.3MHigh estimate

How the revenue splits

Gross Revenue
$66,788,972
− Steam Platform Fee(24.5%)
−$16,357,794
Developer Revenue
$50,431,178

Developer vs. Steam

Developer: 75.5%($50,431,178)Steam: 24.5%($16,357,794)

Tiered Fee Structure

Tier 1 ($0–$10M) (30%)$3,000,000
Tier 2 ($10M–$50M) (25%)$10,000,000
Tier 3 ($50M+) (20%)$3,357,794

More context in the Steam game revenue hub or in the Steam revenue calculator.

How we estimate this

89%positive
71,071Total Reviews
63,253positive (89%)
7,818negative (11%)

Step by step

  1. 1

    Capture Steam review volume as the primary demand signal

    71,071 reviews and a 89% positive rating are used as the starting point because Steam review counts correlate strongly with paid ownership.

  2. 2

    Apply a calibrated Boxleiter multiplier

    For Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, we use a midpoint multiplier of ×25 and show a wider range from ×20 to ×60 to reflect uncertainty.

  3. 3

    Use a realistic realized sale price instead of only list price

    Rather than relying only on the current price of $40, we estimate a realized average sale price of $38 to account for discounting over time.

  4. 4

    Translate gross revenue into developer revenue

    We then apply Steam's effective fee rate of 24.5%. That turns an estimated $66,788,972 in gross revenue into roughly $50,431,178 retained by the developer.

Calibrated inputs for this game

Avg. sale price

$37.59

List price $39.99

Boxleiter multiplier

×25

Range ×20–×60

Effective Steam fee

24.5%

Tiered 30 / 25 / 20%

Revenue estimates for Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag use the Boxleiter method with a broad range from x20 to x60. For the best estimate we use a calibrated midpoint of x25 and a calibrated average sale price of $38 instead of a flat 30x/0.75 model. Factors like age, price tier, discount history, genre, and review profile all affect the true reviews-to-sales ratio.

Platform Comparison

Hypothetical: What would the developer earn at the same gross revenue?

Steam

Gross revenue baseline: $66,788,972

To developer

$50,431,178

To developer: 75.5%

$50,431,178

Platform fee: 24.5%

$16,357,794

Epic Games Store

Gross revenue baseline: $66,788,972

To developer

$58,894,296

To developer: 88.2%

$58,894,296

Platform fee: 11.8%

$7,894,677

Epic: 0% on the first $1M in annual per-app revenue, then 12%. Effective here: 11.8%.

GOG

Gross revenue baseline: $66,788,972

To developer

$46,752,281

To developer: 70.0%

$46,752,281

Platform fee: 30.0%

$20,036,692

* Actual sales on Epic and GOG are not estimated. Steam's larger user base typically drives substantially higher sales volumes.

Genre Market Position

Top 6% by revenue in Action
6%

Top 6% of Action games

by estimated revenue

0%◆ Median100%

2,141

Top Games Tracked

$6M

Median (tracked top games)

$20.8M

Mean (tracked top games)

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag ranks in the top 6% of 2141 tracked action top-sellers, with estimated revenue 11× this group's median.

Baseline: HelpfulCalculator's curated set of top-grossing Steam games, not the entire Steam catalog. Niche genres may have small samples.

Playtime & Engagement

32.1h avg19.5h median

32.1h

Average Playtime

19.5h

Median Playtime

10.8h

Recent Activity (2 Weeks)

Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag keeps players engaged for an average of 32.1 hours – solid engagement for a action game.

Current Activity34% still active

Game Details

Dataset updated: April 18, 2026

DeveloperUbisoft Montreal
PublisherUbisoft
Release Date—
Years on Market1 year
Current Price$39.99
Calibrated Avg. Selling Price$37.59
GenreAction
Peak Players923
SteamSpy Owners5,000,000 .. 10,000,000
SteamView on Store

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much has Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag earned on Steam?

Based on our analysis using the Boxleiter method, we estimate Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag's total gross revenue on Steam at approximately $66,788,972.

This estimate comes with a confidence range:

  • Conservative estimate (x20): $53,431,178
  • Calibrated midpoint (x25): $66,788,972
  • Optimistic estimate (x60): $160,293,533

The actual revenue may vary due to regional pricing, seasonal discounts, and refund rates.

How many copies has Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag sold on Steam?

With 71,071 Steam reviews and a 89% positive rating, we estimate Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag has sold between 1,421,420 and 4,264,260 copies, with a best estimate of 1,776,775.

This is based on the Boxleiter method, which uses the observation that roughly 1 in every 20 to 60 buyers leaves a Steam review. For the midpoint we do not assume a universal 30x value; we use a calibrated multiplier of x25 that adjusts for the title's age, price tier, genre, and review profile.

How much does Ubisoft Montreal earn from Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag?

After Steam's tiered platform fee of effectively 24.5%, Ubisoft Montreal keeps an estimated $50,431,178 from Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag's gross revenue of $66,788,972.

Here's the breakdown:

  • Gross Revenue: $66,788,972
  • Steam's Fee (24.5%): -$16,357,794
  • Developer Revenue: $50,431,178

Note: This doesn't account for publisher shares, taxes, or development costs.

What percentage does Steam take from Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag?

Steam uses a tiered revenue sharing model that reduces the platform's cut as a game earns more:

  • First $10 million: 30% to Steam, 70% to developer
  • $10M to $50M: 25% to Steam, 75% to developer
  • Above $50M: 20% to Steam, 80% to developer

For Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, with an estimated gross revenue of $66,788,972, this results in an effective rate of 24.5%. Steam keeps approximately $16,357,794 and Ubisoft Montreal receives $50,431,178.

How accurate are these revenue estimates for Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag?

These estimates use the Boxleiter method, a widely-used industry approach that estimates game sales from the number of Steam reviews.

Factors that affect accuracy:

  • Review-to-purchase ratio varies by genre
  • Discount history - games with frequent deep sales may have higher ratios
  • Regional pricing - different prices in different markets are not captured
  • Refunds - Steam's return policy means some counted sales were refunded
  • Bundled sales - keys sold through third-party bundles may not generate reviews

We provide a confidence range ($53,431,178 to $160,293,533) to reflect this uncertainty. For the best estimate we combine the Boxleiter range with a calibrated midpoint (x25) and a calibrated ASP of $38.

What would Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag earn on Epic Games Store instead?

If Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag generated the same gross revenue on the Epic Games Store, Ubisoft Montreal would keep approximately $58,894,296 - that's $8,463,118 more than on Steam.

At this revenue level, Epic's concrete platform fee would be $7,894,677. Epic charges 0% on the first $1 million in annual per-app revenue and then 12% on the remaining amount. On GOG (30% cut), the developer would earn approximately $46,752,281.

Note: This is a hypothetical comparison. Actual sales volumes differ significantly between platforms, and Steam's larger user base typically drives substantially higher sales.

How long do players spend in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag?

According to SteamSpy data, players spend an average of 32.1 hours in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag, with a median playtime of 19.5 hours. This indicates solid player engagement.