Call of Duty®: Black Ops III Steam key art
Call of Duty®: Black Ops III cover art

Steam revenue analysis

Call of Duty®: Black Ops III Steam Revenue & Sales Estimates

Treyarch · Activision

$203.9MEst. Gross Revenue

6,665,806 estimated sales, 84% positive reviews, and $160,125,604.43 potentially retained by the developer after Steam's platform fees.

Action84% Positive$59.99MC 73

Revenue Overview

$203.9M

Gross Revenue

$160.1M

Developer Revenue

6,665,806

Est. Copies Sold

$18.5M

Revenue / Year (avg. 11 yr)

$131.6MLow estimate
$203.9MBest estimate
$394.7MHigh estimate

How the revenue splits

Gross Revenue
$203,907,006
− Steam Platform Fee(21.5%)
−$43,781,401
Developer Revenue
$160,125,604

Developer vs. Steam

Developer: 78.5%($160,125,604)Steam: 21.5%($43,781,401)

Tiered Fee Structure

Tier 1 ($0–$10M) (30%)$3,000,000
Tier 2 ($10M–$50M) (25%)$10,000,000
Tier 3 ($50M+) (20%)$30,781,401

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

How we estimate this

84%positive
215,026Total Reviews
180,622positive (84%)
34,404negative (16%)

Step by step

  1. 1

    Capture Steam review volume as the primary demand signal

    215,026 reviews and a 84% 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 Call of Duty®: Black Ops III, we use a midpoint multiplier of ×31 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 $60, we estimate a realized average sale price of $31 to account for discounting over time.

  4. 4

    Translate gross revenue into developer revenue

    We then apply Steam's effective fee rate of 21.5%. That turns an estimated $203,907,006 in gross revenue into roughly $160,125,604 retained by the developer.

Calibrated inputs for this game

Avg. sale price

$30.59

List price $59.99

Boxleiter multiplier

×31

Range ×20–×60

Effective Steam fee

21.5%

Tiered 30 / 25 / 20%

Revenue estimates for Call of Duty®: Black Ops III use the Boxleiter method with a broad range from x20 to x60. For the best estimate we use a calibrated midpoint of x31 and a calibrated average sale price of $31 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: $203,907,006

To developer

$160,125,604

To developer: 78.5%

$160,125,604

Platform fee: 21.5%

$43,781,401

Epic Games Store

Gross revenue baseline: $203,907,006

To developer

$179,558,165

To developer: 88.1%

$179,558,165

Platform fee: 11.9%

$24,348,841

Epic: 0% on the first $1M in annual per-app revenue, then 12%. Effective here: 11.9%.

GOG

Gross revenue baseline: $203,907,006

To developer

$142,734,904

To developer: 70.0%

$142,734,904

Platform fee: 30.0%

$61,172,102

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

Genre Market Position

Top 1% by revenue in Action
1%

Top 1% of Action games

by estimated revenue

0%◆ Median100%

2,141

Top Games Tracked

$6M

Median (tracked top games)

$20.8M

Mean (tracked top games)

Call of Duty®: Black Ops III ranks in the top 1% of 2141 tracked action top-sellers, with estimated revenue 34× 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

63.9h avg24.3h median

63.9h

Average Playtime

24.3h

Median Playtime

6.8h

Recent Activity (2 Weeks)

A median playtime of 24.3h and average of 63.9h suggest a dedicated core community playing this action game well beyond the typical player.

Current Activity11% still active

Game Details

Dataset updated: April 18, 2026

DeveloperTreyarch
PublisherActivision
Release DateNovember 4, 2015
Years on Market11 years
Current Price$59.99
Calibrated Avg. Selling Price$30.59
GenreAction
Peak Players5,414
SteamSpy Owners5,000,000 .. 10,000,000
SteamView on Store

Features

Single-playerMulti-playerCo-opShared/Split ScreenSteam AchievementsFull controller supportSteam Trading CardsSteam WorkshopValve Anti-Cheat enabledSteam LeaderboardsRemote Play on PhoneRemote Play on TabletRemote Play on TVRemote Play TogetherFamily Sharing

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much has Call of Duty®: Black Ops III earned on Steam?

Based on our analysis using the Boxleiter method, we estimate Call of Duty®: Black Ops III's total gross revenue on Steam at approximately $203,907,006.

This estimate comes with a confidence range:

  • Conservative estimate (x20): $131,552,907
  • Calibrated midpoint (x31): $203,907,006
  • Optimistic estimate (x60): $394,658,720

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

How many copies has Call of Duty®: Black Ops III sold on Steam?

With 215,026 Steam reviews and a 84% positive rating, we estimate Call of Duty®: Black Ops III has sold between 4,300,520 and 12,901,560 copies, with a best estimate of 6,665,806.

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 x31 that adjusts for the title's age, price tier, genre, and review profile.

How much does Treyarch earn from Call of Duty®: Black Ops III?

After Steam's tiered platform fee of effectively 21.5%, Treyarch keeps an estimated $160,125,604 from Call of Duty®: Black Ops III's gross revenue of $203,907,006.

Here's the breakdown:

  • Gross Revenue: $203,907,006
  • Steam's Fee (21.5%): -$43,781,401
  • Developer Revenue: $160,125,604

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

What percentage does Steam take from Call of Duty®: Black Ops III?

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 Call of Duty®: Black Ops III, with an estimated gross revenue of $203,907,006, this results in an effective rate of 21.5%. Steam keeps approximately $43,781,401 and Treyarch receives $160,125,604.

How accurate are these revenue estimates for Call of Duty®: Black Ops III?

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 ($131,552,907 to $394,658,720) to reflect this uncertainty. For the best estimate we combine the Boxleiter range with a calibrated midpoint (x31) and a calibrated ASP of $31.

What would Call of Duty®: Black Ops III earn on Epic Games Store instead?

If Call of Duty®: Black Ops III generated the same gross revenue on the Epic Games Store, Treyarch would keep approximately $179,558,165 - that's $19,432,560 more than on Steam.

At this revenue level, Epic's concrete platform fee would be $24,348,841. 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 $142,734,904.

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 Call of Duty®: Black Ops III?

According to SteamSpy data, players spend an average of 63.9 hours in Call of Duty®: Black Ops III, with a median playtime of 24.3 hours. The large gap between average and median suggests a dedicated core community playing well beyond the typical player.

What is Call of Duty®: Black Ops III's Metacritic score?

Call of Duty®: Black Ops III has a Metacritic score of 73/100, which indicates "mixed or average" reviews from critics. The Steam community rates the game 84% positive based on 215,026 user reviews.