World War Z Steam key art
World War Z cover art

Steam revenue analysis

World War Z Steam Revenue & Sales Estimates

Saber Interactive Inc

$15.5MEst. Gross Revenue

781,740 estimated sales, 83% positive reviews, and $11,102,975.95 potentially retained by the developer after Steam's platform fees.

Action83% Positive$29.99

Revenue Overview

$15.5M

Gross Revenue

$11.1M

Developer Revenue

781,740

Est. Copies Sold

$3.1M

Revenue / Year (avg. 5 yr)

$10.3MLow estimate
$15.5MBest estimate
$30.9MHigh estimate

How the revenue splits

Gross Revenue
$15,470,635
− Steam Platform Fee(28.2%)
−$4,367,659
Developer Revenue
$11,102,976

Developer vs. Steam

Developer: 71.8%($11,102,976)Steam: 28.2%($4,367,659)

Tiered Fee Structure

Tier 1 ($0–$10M) (30%)$3,000,000
Tier 2 ($10M–$50M) (25%)$1,367,659
Tier 3 ($50M+) (20%)—

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

How we estimate this

83%positive
26,058Total Reviews
21,628positive (83%)
4,430negative (17%)

Step by step

  1. 1

    Capture Steam review volume as the primary demand signal

    26,058 reviews and a 83% 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 World War Z, we use a midpoint multiplier of ×30 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 $30, we estimate a realized average sale price of $20 to account for discounting over time.

  4. 4

    Translate gross revenue into developer revenue

    We then apply Steam's effective fee rate of 28.2%. That turns an estimated $15,470,635 in gross revenue into roughly $11,102,976 retained by the developer.

Calibrated inputs for this game

Avg. sale price

$19.79

List price $29.99

Boxleiter multiplier

×30

Range ×20–×60

Effective Steam fee

28.2%

Tiered 30 / 25 / 20%

Revenue estimates for World War Z use the Boxleiter method with a broad range from x20 to x60. For the best estimate we use a calibrated midpoint of x30 and a calibrated average sale price of $20 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: $15,470,635

To developer

$11,102,976

To developer: 71.8%

$11,102,976

Platform fee: 28.2%

$4,367,659

Epic Games Store

Gross revenue baseline: $15,470,635

To developer

$13,734,158

To developer: 88.8%

$13,734,158

Platform fee: 11.2%

$1,736,476

Epic: 0% on the first $1M in annual per-app revenue, then 12%. Effective here: 11.2%.

GOG

Gross revenue baseline: $15,470,635

To developer

$10,829,444

To developer: 70.0%

$10,829,444

Platform fee: 30.0%

$4,641,190

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

Genre Market Position

Top 25% by revenue in Action
25%

Top 25% of Action games

by estimated revenue

0%◆ Median100%

2,141

Top Games Tracked

$6M

Median (tracked top games)

$20.8M

Mean (tracked top games)

World War Z ranks in the top 25% of 2141 tracked action top-sellers, with estimated revenue 3× 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

21.8h avg8h median

21.8h

Average Playtime

8h

Median Playtime

7.9h

Recent Activity (2 Weeks)

A median playtime of 8h and average of 21.8h suggest a dedicated core community playing this action game well beyond the typical player.

Current Activity36% still active

Game Details

Dataset updated: April 18, 2026

DeveloperSaber Interactive Inc
PublisherSaber Interactive Inc
Release DateSeptember 20, 2021
Years on Market5 years
Current Price$29.99
Calibrated Avg. Selling Price$19.79
GenreAction
Peak Players1,663
SteamSpy Owners1,000,000 .. 2,000,000
SteamView on Store

Features

Single-playerMulti-playerPvPOnline PvPCo-opOnline Co-opCross-Platform MultiplayerSteam AchievementsFull controller supportSteam CloudFamily Sharing

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much has World War Z earned on Steam?

Based on our analysis using the Boxleiter method, we estimate World War Z's total gross revenue on Steam at approximately $15,470,635.

This estimate comes with a confidence range:

  • Conservative estimate (x20): $10,313,756
  • Calibrated midpoint (x30): $15,470,635
  • Optimistic estimate (x60): $30,941,269

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

How many copies has World War Z sold on Steam?

With 26,058 Steam reviews and a 83% positive rating, we estimate World War Z has sold between 521,160 and 1,563,480 copies, with a best estimate of 781,740.

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 x30 that adjusts for the title's age, price tier, genre, and review profile.

How much does Saber Interactive Inc earn from World War Z?

After Steam's tiered platform fee of effectively 28.2%, Saber Interactive Inc keeps an estimated $11,102,976 from World War Z's gross revenue of $15,470,635.

Here's the breakdown:

  • Gross Revenue: $15,470,635
  • Steam's Fee (28.2%): -$4,367,659
  • Developer Revenue: $11,102,976

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

What percentage does Steam take from World War Z?

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 World War Z, with an estimated gross revenue of $15,470,635, this results in an effective rate of 28.2%. Steam keeps approximately $4,367,659 and Saber Interactive Inc receives $11,102,976.

How accurate are these revenue estimates for World War Z?

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 ($10,313,756 to $30,941,269) to reflect this uncertainty. For the best estimate we combine the Boxleiter range with a calibrated midpoint (x30) and a calibrated ASP of $20.

What would World War Z earn on Epic Games Store instead?

If World War Z generated the same gross revenue on the Epic Games Store, Saber Interactive Inc would keep approximately $13,734,158 - that's $2,631,183 more than on Steam.

At this revenue level, Epic's concrete platform fee would be $1,736,476. 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 $10,829,444.

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 World War Z?

According to SteamSpy data, players spend an average of 21.8 hours in World War Z, with a median playtime of 8 hours. The large gap between average and median suggests a dedicated core community playing well beyond the typical player.