Top most profitable video games on Steam for first half of 2024

The shooter Counter-Strike 2 was recognized as the most profitable game on Steam in the first half of 2024, according to a study by GameDiscoverCo.

The game earned $610 million in six months thanks to Prime accounts, in-game purchases, and commissions from item sales on the Steam marketplace.

It is followed by Helldivers 2, which earned $458 million, and Palworld, which took third place with $378 million. Palworld quickly gained popularity after its release in January but soon lost a significant portion of its player base.

The top 10 also includes PUBG: Battlegrounds ($276 million), Apex Legends ($159 million), Baldur's Gate 3 ($127 million), Dota 2—another popular game by Valve that earned $119 million—Dragon's Dogma 2 ($108 million), Elden Ring, which received the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion in June and earned $100 million, and Destiny 2 ($91 million).

Rounding out the top 20 is War Thunder, which brought in $36 million for its creators in the first half of 2024.

Analysts note a 20% increase in the number of games earning between $500,000 and $1 million in 2024, as well as a 15% increase in projects generating $5 million to $10 million. This list includes both new releases and older games that continue to sell well after launch.