Why Mid-Sized Studios Keep Getting Overlooked in a Crowded Game Market
Blogs
•
April 21, 2025
Making a great game is not enough anymore. You can have solid funding, a clean Steam page, and even some buzz, and still get ignored. Not because your game is bad, but because players never saw it. This is the challenge for AA or Triple I studios. You are too big to be considered indie and too small to play the AAA game. You are in the middle, and that space is getting squeezed hard.
Indie developers are taking a lot of the spotlight. They are getting press, awards, and publisher interest. Platforms are chasing viral hits from small teams, not mid-tier games with solid fundamentals. This shift makes it harder to secure funding and even harder to build visibility.
Let’s look at what the data says, what we are hearing from studios, and what you can actually do to improve your chances in this market.
Steam visibility is disappearing fast
If you are wondering why your Steam game is not getting any attention, you are not alone.
Steam used to drive discovery through homepage features and store algorithms. That’s changed. Nearly half of all traffic to Steam game pages now comes from outside the platform. YouTube, TikTok, Discord, Reddit…this is where discovery starts.
Launch discounts still give a short boost. Newzoo reports they can increase impressions by 52 times during launch week. But the effect fades fast. If you are not already part of the conversation, no sale is going to fix that.
Think of Steam as a checkout counter, not a billboard. People go there to buy, not to browse.
Players are sticking with fewer games
In 2021, Steam players averaged 13 games per year. By 2024, that number dropped to 10. On Xbox, it dropped from 12 to 9. PlayStation held steady.
Almost half of players who only played one to three games last year were focused on Counter-Strike and DotA 2. That means fewer people are trying new titles. Your window to reach them is smaller than ever.
A developer we spoke with told us their game launched smoothly, got strong reviews, and still struggled. Why? Because most players had already settled into another game before theirs even went live.
This isn’t about quality. It’s about timing and visibility.
How Triple I games can compete in 2024 and beyond
If you are a mid-sized studio with a strong game and limited resources, here is what we are seeing work.
Pick a clear identity
Games like Palworld, Lethal Company, and It Takes Two did not win with huge budgets. They won with clarity. Players could understand the game loop in seconds.
If your game looks like five other titles, it gets lost. But if it delivers a specific experience for a specific audience, it has a shot.
One studio told us they focused their entire pre-launch around a small but dedicated genre community. They built trust. That trust turned into attention. Attention turned into wishlists and sales.
Start your visibility early
Many game devs wait until launch to promote their game. That is too late.
You need to start building presence at least three months before launch. Share gameplay clips. Engage on Discord. Work with creators who already speak to your audience.
Most of the games showing up in Steam’s trending sections already had momentum before their pages went live. You are not trying to go viral. You are trying to stay visible.
Give people a reason to act now
When Fortnite brought back its OG map, it tripled its daily player count. Players came back because it was familiar, but also because it felt temporary. It created a moment.
You can create moments too. Early access weekends. Beta invites. Exclusive items for early players. These things don’t just build hype, they build community.
If there is no reason to try your game now, most people will not try it later.
Plan for updates before you launch
Even if your game is not live service, your players expect it to evolve.
Map out small updates that show you are listening. Whether that is fixing bugs, adding a new level, or improving UX, every update is a chance to bring players back and reach new ones.
We heard from a team that saw its biggest traffic spike after their first patch. Players returned. Others finally bought in. That update created a second wave of discovery.
You are not competing with other launches
You are competing with the games players already love. With their Discord friends. With YouTube channels and group chats and everything else stealing attention.
The good news is you do not need to be louder. You just need to be earlier, clearer, and more consistent.
If you are building something great, the real challenge is making sure people see it.
We help mid-sized studios plan launches, grow communities, and build strategies that work in a market where attention is tight. If your game is getting buried, we can help.
Indie developers are taking a lot of the spotlight. They are getting press, awards, and publisher interest. Platforms are chasing viral hits from small teams, not mid-tier games with solid fundamentals. This shift makes it harder to secure funding and even harder to build visibility.
Let’s look at what the data says, what we are hearing from studios, and what you can actually do to improve your chances in this market.
Steam visibility is disappearing fast
If you are wondering why your Steam game is not getting any attention, you are not alone.
Steam used to drive discovery through homepage features and store algorithms. That’s changed. Nearly half of all traffic to Steam game pages now comes from outside the platform. YouTube, TikTok, Discord, Reddit…this is where discovery starts.
Launch discounts still give a short boost. Newzoo reports they can increase impressions by 52 times during launch week. But the effect fades fast. If you are not already part of the conversation, no sale is going to fix that.
Think of Steam as a checkout counter, not a billboard. People go there to buy, not to browse.
Players are sticking with fewer games
In 2021, Steam players averaged 13 games per year. By 2024, that number dropped to 10. On Xbox, it dropped from 12 to 9. PlayStation held steady.
Almost half of players who only played one to three games last year were focused on Counter-Strike and DotA 2. That means fewer people are trying new titles. Your window to reach them is smaller than ever.
A developer we spoke with told us their game launched smoothly, got strong reviews, and still struggled. Why? Because most players had already settled into another game before theirs even went live.
This isn’t about quality. It’s about timing and visibility.
How Triple I games can compete in 2024 and beyond
If you are a mid-sized studio with a strong game and limited resources, here is what we are seeing work.
Pick a clear identity
Games like Palworld, Lethal Company, and It Takes Two did not win with huge budgets. They won with clarity. Players could understand the game loop in seconds.
If your game looks like five other titles, it gets lost. But if it delivers a specific experience for a specific audience, it has a shot.
One studio told us they focused their entire pre-launch around a small but dedicated genre community. They built trust. That trust turned into attention. Attention turned into wishlists and sales.
Start your visibility early
Many game devs wait until launch to promote their game. That is too late.
You need to start building presence at least three months before launch. Share gameplay clips. Engage on Discord. Work with creators who already speak to your audience.
Most of the games showing up in Steam’s trending sections already had momentum before their pages went live. You are not trying to go viral. You are trying to stay visible.
Give people a reason to act now
When Fortnite brought back its OG map, it tripled its daily player count. Players came back because it was familiar, but also because it felt temporary. It created a moment.
You can create moments too. Early access weekends. Beta invites. Exclusive items for early players. These things don’t just build hype, they build community.
If there is no reason to try your game now, most people will not try it later.
Plan for updates before you launch
Even if your game is not live service, your players expect it to evolve.
Map out small updates that show you are listening. Whether that is fixing bugs, adding a new level, or improving UX, every update is a chance to bring players back and reach new ones.
We heard from a team that saw its biggest traffic spike after their first patch. Players returned. Others finally bought in. That update created a second wave of discovery.
You are not competing with other launches
You are competing with the games players already love. With their Discord friends. With YouTube channels and group chats and everything else stealing attention.
The good news is you do not need to be louder. You just need to be earlier, clearer, and more consistent.
If you are building something great, the real challenge is making sure people see it.
We help mid-sized studios plan launches, grow communities, and build strategies that work in a market where attention is tight. If your game is getting buried, we can help.
Indie developers are taking a lot of the spotlight. They are getting press, awards, and publisher interest. Platforms are chasing viral hits from small teams, not mid-tier games with solid fundamentals. This shift makes it harder to secure funding and even harder to build visibility.
Let’s look at what the data says, what we are hearing from studios, and what you can actually do to improve your chances in this market.
Steam visibility is disappearing fast
If you are wondering why your Steam game is not getting any attention, you are not alone.
Steam used to drive discovery through homepage features and store algorithms. That’s changed. Nearly half of all traffic to Steam game pages now comes from outside the platform. YouTube, TikTok, Discord, Reddit…this is where discovery starts.
Launch discounts still give a short boost. Newzoo reports they can increase impressions by 52 times during launch week. But the effect fades fast. If you are not already part of the conversation, no sale is going to fix that.
Think of Steam as a checkout counter, not a billboard. People go there to buy, not to browse.
Players are sticking with fewer games
In 2021, Steam players averaged 13 games per year. By 2024, that number dropped to 10. On Xbox, it dropped from 12 to 9. PlayStation held steady.
Almost half of players who only played one to three games last year were focused on Counter-Strike and DotA 2. That means fewer people are trying new titles. Your window to reach them is smaller than ever.
A developer we spoke with told us their game launched smoothly, got strong reviews, and still struggled. Why? Because most players had already settled into another game before theirs even went live.
This isn’t about quality. It’s about timing and visibility.
How Triple I games can compete in 2024 and beyond
If you are a mid-sized studio with a strong game and limited resources, here is what we are seeing work.
Pick a clear identity
Games like Palworld, Lethal Company, and It Takes Two did not win with huge budgets. They won with clarity. Players could understand the game loop in seconds.
If your game looks like five other titles, it gets lost. But if it delivers a specific experience for a specific audience, it has a shot.
One studio told us they focused their entire pre-launch around a small but dedicated genre community. They built trust. That trust turned into attention. Attention turned into wishlists and sales.
Start your visibility early
Many game devs wait until launch to promote their game. That is too late.
You need to start building presence at least three months before launch. Share gameplay clips. Engage on Discord. Work with creators who already speak to your audience.
Most of the games showing up in Steam’s trending sections already had momentum before their pages went live. You are not trying to go viral. You are trying to stay visible.
Give people a reason to act now
When Fortnite brought back its OG map, it tripled its daily player count. Players came back because it was familiar, but also because it felt temporary. It created a moment.
You can create moments too. Early access weekends. Beta invites. Exclusive items for early players. These things don’t just build hype, they build community.
If there is no reason to try your game now, most people will not try it later.
Plan for updates before you launch
Even if your game is not live service, your players expect it to evolve.
Map out small updates that show you are listening. Whether that is fixing bugs, adding a new level, or improving UX, every update is a chance to bring players back and reach new ones.
We heard from a team that saw its biggest traffic spike after their first patch. Players returned. Others finally bought in. That update created a second wave of discovery.
You are not competing with other launches
You are competing with the games players already love. With their Discord friends. With YouTube channels and group chats and everything else stealing attention.
The good news is you do not need to be louder. You just need to be earlier, clearer, and more consistent.
If you are building something great, the real challenge is making sure people see it.
We help mid-sized studios plan launches, grow communities, and build strategies that work in a market where attention is tight. If your game is getting buried, we can help.
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