Do I ship it?

Games2D Fighter2D Fighter + Split Screen

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Split Screen 2D Fighter?

2D Fighter + Split Screen

Only 11 developers shipped a Split Screen 2D Fighter in the last 2 years, too few for firm odds: the middle one made est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.; the top game by est. revenue, Galactic Thunderdome, made about est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 19 more are announced, ×3.8 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 5 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $600, level with the market's $630 for a 5 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $50; 1 in 20 cleared $10k, ×17 the market median. Revenue is down 100% on the market; 19 games are announced against 5 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.0 times the market baseline, revenue down 100% on the market, 19 announced, ×3.8 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
2D Fighter + Split Screen
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 11
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $120 → $4.8k → $599 → $479 (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for 2D Fighter + Split Screen: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 11
Bottom 30% $0 (exactly $0)
Median $599 (exactly $599)
Top 25% $4.3k (exactly $4,341)
Top 5% $10k (exactly $10,490)
Developers, 2 yr 11
Released games 43
Announced 19
Effort 5 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $7.99

momentum: how a niche's revenue percentiles and developer count moved between two equal, adjacent periods, divided by the market's own move. See method., 12 months: revenue too few recent games to read momentum, supply 15% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 19%, excluded from money figures.

See every window in the explorer →

Plate 2 · systems and tooling

Can AI deliver it?

AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.

2D Fighter
effort 5 / 10 · low · frame-precise animation and rollback netcode
Split Screen
effort 5 / 10 · medium · effort 5 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
5 / 10 · real systems or entry 3D
Systems
2D Fighter, Split Screen
Price point
$7.99 typical
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 7 games average 98% positive over 100 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $50, median $600, 1 in 4 over $4.3k, 1 in 20 over $10k.

3 in 10 developers made under $50. All of the 7 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 19 games are announced against 5 developers who shipped in the last year, ×3.8 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

2D Fighter with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + RomanceStrong odds8 devs · median $4.0k · 6 announced
  2. + Visual NovelFair11 devs · median $4.0k · 12 announced
  3. + Card BattlerFair10 devs · median $1.0k · 11 announced
  4. + DeckbuildingFair17 devs · median $959 · 12 announced
  5. + Auto BattlerFair16 devs · median $719 · 19 announced
  6. + IdlerFair9 devs · median $599 · 18 announced
  7. + RhythmFair10 devs · median $599 · 12 announced
  8. + SimulationFair51 devs · median $598 · 55 announced
  9. + IncrementalFair16 devs · median $538 · 13 announced
  10. + ManagementFair10 devs · median $449 · 14 announced
  11. + SuperheroLong shot11 devs · median $959 · 12 announced
  12. + Resource ManagementLong shot13 devs · median $390 · 14 announced

All 129 pairs on the 2D Fighter page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Stick Fight: The Game older $4.99 99,952 93% 3.0M $15M (exactly $14,962,814) Landfall West
Megabyte Punch older $14.99 409 94% 12k $184k (exactly $183,927) Team Reptile
ABRACA - Imagic Games older $14.99 26 73% 780 $12k (exactly $11,692) Ankama Studio
Galactic Thunderdome $9.99 35 100% 1.1k $10k (exactly $10,490) Pansimula
Dragon Fury older $19.99 15 60% 450 $9.0k (exactly $8,996) Esenthel
Bloodbath older $7.99 25 36% 750 $6.0k (exactly $5,992) Freedom Factory
Volley Pals older $4.99 34 85% 1.0k $5.1k (exactly $5,090) NAISU
Spell Swap older $6.99 23 91% 690 $4.8k (exactly $4,823) Teagher Studio
Goo Goo Grapplers $7.99 20 100% 600 $4.8k (exactly $4,794) Both Good
Endorlight older $0.99 147 55% 4.4k $4.4k (exactly $4,366) Old Games
Pichenette $4.99 29 100% 870 $4.3k (exactly $4,341) Oh Popette Games
Thumb Tanks $9.99 7 100% 210 $2.1k (exactly $2,098) thumbcramp
Revolvermen $9.99 3 100% 90 $899 (exactly $899) Oskar Wetterbrandt
Splort $4.99 4 100% 120 $599 (exactly $599) Mikkel Jensby
Grapple Gunners $7.99 2 0% 60 $479 (exactly $479) Cortland Hansen
IT Hell · EA $2.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) Thug Rabbit Games
Karl The Good Man $4.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) All Names Taken
Vault Vandals $7.99 0 0% 0 $0 (exactly $0) Elusive Drafts

Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.