Horses Horror Game Sells 18,000 Copies, Studio Still at Risk
▼ Summary
– The horror game *Horses* sold over 18,000 copies and generated around $65,000 in net revenue despite being banned from Steam and the Epic Games Store.
– Developer Santa Ragione stated the deplatforming threatened the studio’s future by blocking access to the main PC audience and delaying development, forcing the team into debt and to take other jobs.
– While the sales success helps cover immediate debts and obligations, it is insufficient to fully secure the studio’s future or easily reunite the fragmented team for new projects.
– The studio emphasizes that the commercial success does not erase the lasting negative impacts of the bans, including development delays, financial strain, and team fragmentation.
– Santa Ragione calls for clearer rules and more transparent processes from dominant distribution platforms, noting many other games face quiet bans or indefinite reviews without recourse.
The recent journey of the horror game Horses underscores the precarious nature of game development when major platforms withdraw support. Despite being removed from both Steam and the Epic Games Store, the controversial title from Italian studio Santa Ragione has managed to sell approximately 18,000 copies. This unexpected commercial response, generating nearly $65,000 in net revenue, arrived after widespread media coverage of the bans and public backing from the GOG storefront. While these funds provide crucial relief, the developer clarifies they are insufficient to fully secure the studio’s long-term future.
Earlier this month, the studio faced a potential crisis when Valve decided not to host Horses on Steam. This decision was a significant blow, as the platform represents the primary marketplace for PC games. The situation worsened when Epic Games Store followed suit, also refusing to carry the provocative title. Losing access to these dominant storefronts severely limited the game’s potential audience, making it nearly impossible to recover the initial development investment.
The revenue from these sales is currently being used to address immediate financial pressures. The money primarily covers outstanding royalties and helps settle loans taken during the extended, tumultuous final phase of development. If sales continue at their current pace, there is a possibility of funding a new prototype down the line. However, the immediate reality is that team members have been forced to seek other employment and freelance projects to make ends meet. Reassembling the full, original team for a future project will be challenging, even if it remains a desired goal for the studio.
Santa Ragione is careful to point out that this modest success does not undo the damage caused by the platform bans. The initial prohibition by Steam, and the subsequent development delays it triggered, forced the team into a desperate scramble for alternative funding. This period incurred significant debt, lost opportunities, and caused the fragmentation of the team as people sought work elsewhere. These are lasting consequences that a positive launch reception cannot simply erase.
The studio used this update as an opportunity to advocate for systemic change within the industry. They called for clearer content guidelines, more transparent review processes, and genuine accountability from the near-monopolistic distribution platforms that control market access. For every high-profile case like Horses, they argue, numerous other games are silently banned, delisted, or stuck in perpetual review for ambiguous reasons. Many developers, fearing retaliation or future blacklisting, feel unable to speak out about these experiences publicly.
(Source: Games Industry)
