Simon Careless from the analytical agency GameDiscoverCo, in collaboration with Gamalytic, has revealed that Counter-Strike 2 became the highest-grossing game on Steam during the first half of 2024.

Steam's revenue data for the first six months of 2024 paints a dynamic picture of the gaming industry, showcasing the enduring dominance of established franchises and the rising success of new projects that have maintained significant earnings over time.

Top 5 Highest-Grossing Steam Games (H1 2024)

Counter-Strike 2 leads the pack among Steam's top 20 highest-grossing games for the first half of 2024, raking in a staggering $610 million. This solidifies its position as a titan in the competitive gaming arena. The franchise's longevity, coupled with the transition from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to CS2, has evidently paid off, boosting Valve's revenue. This success underscores the enduring appeal of tactical shooters and the effective monetization strategies employed by the studio.

Helldivers 2 and Palworld claimed the second and third spots, generating $458 million and $378 million, respectively, thanks to their high online engagement. Helldivers 2, a shooter that has capitalized on its cooperative gameplay and dynamic action, has gained significant popularity. Meanwhile, Palworld attracted a wide audience with its unique concept reminiscent of Pokémon games — an experience not available to PC players — combined with survival elements, offering a fresh and unusual gaming experience.

The list wouldn’t be complete without giants from the battle royale genre: PUBG: Battlegrounds ($276 million) and Apex Legends ($159 million), rounding out the top five most profitable Steam games in the first half of 2024. Despite fierce competition in this genre, these games continue to thrive, thanks to regular updates that keep them from being overshadowed by other titles.

Other Notable Revenue Contributors

Baldur’s Gate 3 has significantly impacted the gaming market and Steam, in particular. With its compelling narrative, well-developed characters, and complex role-playing elements, the game continues to generate impressive revenue despite being released a year ago.

Another long-standing Valve project, Dota 2, remains a leader in the esports scene alongside CS2, amassing $119 million.

Dragon’s Dogma 2, ranking eighth with $108 million, highlights the successful continuation of the franchise, supported by a dedicated fanbase and Capcom's reputation for crafting quality action RPGs. This further proves that high-quality single-player games continue to resonate with the gaming audience.

The release of the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion for Elden Ring helped maintain the game's popularity, bringing in an additional $100 million and securing it the ninth spot in the rankings. Close behind is Destiny 2 with $91 million.

Interestingly, niche titles like Manor Lords and Last Epoch also made it into the rankings, earning $56 million and $54 million, respectively. These projects demonstrate the diversity and breadth of the gaming market, where even genre-specific games can achieve strong financial results.

Additional Games in the Ranking:

• Destiny 2 — $91 million
• Enshrouded — $49 million
• Naraka: Bladepoint — $48 million
• Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut — $48 million
• Warframe — $46 million
• Call of Duty HQ — $41 million
• Granblue Fantasy: Relink — $40 million
• Tekken 8 — $40 million
• War Thunder — $36 million

Revenue Distribution and Comparisons

According to charts provided by GameDiscoverCo, the number of games and their corresponding revenue brackets can be observed, dividing between titles released after 2024 and those released before.

• 74 and 427 games generated between $500K and $1M
• 77 and 442 games between $1M and $5M
• 19 and 88 games between $5M and $10M
• 6 and 39 games between $10M and $25M
• 7 and 12 games between $25M and $50M
• 4 and 8 games surpassed $50M

Another chart from the agency compares the first halves of 2023 and 2024, highlighting an increase in revenue across every income bracket in 2024:

• $500K-$1M: 19.85% increase
• $1M-$5M: 20.69% increase
• $5M-$10M: 15.05% increase
• $10M-$25M: 40.62% increase
• $25M-$50M: 58.3% increase
• Over $50M: 9.09% increase

Conclusion

So, the gaming industry showed good financial performance in the first half of 2024, which resulted in the release and support of projects interesting to players by developers. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that only the profitability of games through the Steam gaming platform, which is the absolute market leader, is taken into account here.