Cities: Skylines II Steam key art
Cities: Skylines II cover art

Steam revenue analysis

Cities: Skylines II Steam Revenue & Sales Estimates

Iceflake Studios · Paradox Interactive

$102.9MEst. Gross Revenue

2,573,340 estimated sales, 53% positive reviews, and $79,326,293.28 potentially retained by the developer after Steam's platform fees.

Simulation53% Positive$49.99

Revenue Overview

$102.9M

Gross Revenue

$79.3M

Developer Revenue

2,573,340

Est. Copies Sold

$34.3M

Revenue / Year (avg. 3 yr)

$58.8MLow estimate
$102.9MBest estimate
$176.4MHigh estimate

How the revenue splits

Gross Revenue
$102,907,867
− Steam Platform Fee(22.9%)
−$23,581,573
Developer Revenue
$79,326,293

Developer vs. Steam

Developer: 77.1%($79,326,293)Steam: 22.9%($23,581,573)

Tiered Fee Structure

Tier 1 ($0–$10M) (30%)$3,000,000
Tier 2 ($10M–$50M) (25%)$10,000,000
Tier 3 ($50M+) (20%)$10,581,573

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

How we estimate this

53%positive
73,524Total Reviews
38,968positive (53%)
34,556negative (47%)

Step by step

  1. 1

    Capture Steam review volume as the primary demand signal

    73,524 reviews and a 53% 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 Cities: Skylines II, we use a midpoint multiplier of ×35 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 $50, we estimate a realized average sale price of $40 to account for discounting over time.

  4. 4

    Translate gross revenue into developer revenue

    We then apply Steam's effective fee rate of 22.9%. That turns an estimated $102,907,867 in gross revenue into roughly $79,326,293 retained by the developer.

Calibrated inputs for this game

Avg. sale price

$39.99

List price $49.99

Boxleiter multiplier

×35

Range ×20–×60

Effective Steam fee

22.9%

Tiered 30 / 25 / 20%

Revenue estimates for Cities: Skylines II use the Boxleiter method with a broad range from x20 to x60. For the best estimate we use a calibrated midpoint of x35 and a calibrated average sale price of $40 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: $102,907,867

To developer

$79,326,293

To developer: 77.1%

$79,326,293

Platform fee: 22.9%

$23,581,573

Epic Games Store

Gross revenue baseline: $102,907,867

To developer

$90,678,923

To developer: 88.1%

$90,678,923

Platform fee: 11.9%

$12,228,944

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

GOG

Gross revenue baseline: $102,907,867

To developer

$72,035,507

To developer: 70.0%

$72,035,507

Platform fee: 30.0%

$30,872,360

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

Genre Market Position

Top 15% by revenue in Simulation
15%

Top 15% of Simulation games

by estimated revenue

0%◆ Median100%

40

Top Games Tracked

$17.6M

Median (tracked top games)

$45.4M

Mean (tracked top games)

Cities: Skylines II ranks in the top 15% of 40 tracked simulation top-sellers, with estimated revenue 6× 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

59.4h avg31.5h median

59.4h

Average Playtime

31.5h

Median Playtime

9.6h

Recent Activity (2 Weeks)

Cities: Skylines II keeps players engaged for an average of 59.4 hours – solid engagement for a simulation game.

Current Activity16% still active

Game Details

Dataset updated: April 18, 2026

DeveloperIceflake Studios
PublisherParadox Interactive
Release DateOctober 23, 2023
Years on Market3 years
Current Price$49.99
Calibrated Avg. Selling Price$39.99
GenreSimulation
Peak Players5,392
SteamSpy Owners2,000,000 .. 5,000,000
SteamView on Store

Features

Single-playerSteam AchievementsFull controller supportSteam CloudFamily Sharing

Related Games

Want to estimate revenue for a different game?

Try our interactive Steam Revenue Calculator for custom scenarios.

Open Steam Revenue Calculator →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much has Cities: Skylines II earned on Steam?

Based on our analysis using the Boxleiter method, we estimate Cities: Skylines II's total gross revenue on Steam at approximately $102,907,867.

This estimate comes with a confidence range:

  • Conservative estimate (x20): $58,804,495
  • Calibrated midpoint (x35): $102,907,867
  • Optimistic estimate (x60): $176,413,486

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

How many copies has Cities: Skylines II sold on Steam?

With 73,524 Steam reviews and a 53% positive rating, we estimate Cities: Skylines II has sold between 1,470,480 and 4,411,440 copies, with a best estimate of 2,573,340.

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 x35 that adjusts for the title's age, price tier, genre, and review profile.

How much does Iceflake Studios earn from Cities: Skylines II?

After Steam's tiered platform fee of effectively 22.9%, Iceflake Studios keeps an estimated $79,326,293 from Cities: Skylines II's gross revenue of $102,907,867.

Here's the breakdown:

  • Gross Revenue: $102,907,867
  • Steam's Fee (22.9%): -$23,581,573
  • Developer Revenue: $79,326,293

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

What percentage does Steam take from Cities: Skylines II?

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 Cities: Skylines II, with an estimated gross revenue of $102,907,867, this results in an effective rate of 22.9%. Steam keeps approximately $23,581,573 and Iceflake Studios receives $79,326,293.

How accurate are these revenue estimates for Cities: Skylines II?

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 ($58,804,495 to $176,413,486) to reflect this uncertainty. For the best estimate we combine the Boxleiter range with a calibrated midpoint (x35) and a calibrated ASP of $40.

What would Cities: Skylines II earn on Epic Games Store instead?

If Cities: Skylines II generated the same gross revenue on the Epic Games Store, Iceflake Studios would keep approximately $90,678,923 - that's $11,352,629 more than on Steam.

At this revenue level, Epic's concrete platform fee would be $12,228,944. 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 $72,035,507.

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 Cities: Skylines II?

According to SteamSpy data, players spend an average of 59.4 hours in Cities: Skylines II, with a median playtime of 31.5 hours. This indicates solid player engagement.