Do I ship it?

GamesThird-Person ShooterThird-Person Shooter + Destruction

Specimen · observed

Should I ship a Destruction Third-Person Shooter?

Third-Person Shooter + Destruction

Of 32 developers who shipped a Destruction Third-Person Shooter in the last 2 years: 3 in 10 made under est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method., the middle one made est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method., 1 in 4 cleared est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method., 1 in 20 cleared est. revenue: est. copies × today's US list price; gross, before Steam's cut, taxes and refunds. See method.. 78 more are announced, ×5.2 for every developer who shipped in the last year.

Verdict: poor odds, for a 7 / 10 build.

The middle developer here made $1.7k, ×1.1 the market's $1.5k for a 7 / 10 build, and 3 in 10 made under $960; 1 in 20 cleared $420k, ×283 the market median. Revenue is up 440% on the market; 78 games are announced against 15 developers who shipped in the last year.

Deciding numbers: median 1.1 times the market baseline, revenue up 440% on the market, 78 announced, ×5.2 per developer who shipped in the last year.
Nobody has said they are building this yet.
Third-Person Shooter + Destruction
Fig. 1 · this niche among 16,100
Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr n = 32
Median est. gross by half-year cohort, 2023 H1 to 2026 H2: $750 → $899 → $538 → $3.6k → $1.4k → $1.2k → $6.1k (still earning) → $112k (still earning)
The last cohort is still earning.
Outcomes for Third-Person Shooter + Destruction: Plate 1 · outcomes, 2 yr, n = 32
Bottom 30% $959 (exactly $959)
Median $1.7k (exactly $1,679)
Top 25% $10k (exactly $10,195)
Top 5% $424k (exactly $423,580)
Developers, 2 yr 32
Released games 116
Announced 78
Effort 7 / 10
AI-buildability Low
Typical price $9.99

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 up 440% on the market, supply 10% fewer developers than the period before.

Free games: 20%, 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.

Third-Person Shooter
effort 7 / 10 · low · effort 7 sits in the low band
Destruction
effort 6 / 10 · medium · effort 6 sits in the medium band

How the rubric works →

Plate 3 · the cost side

What it takes

Effort
7 / 10 · big single-player or serious online
Systems
Third-Person Shooter, Destruction; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Shooter, Action, Arcade
Price point
$9.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
Art
4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Third Person, 3D, Cinematic
Plate 4 · demand

Why players buy here

The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $9.99.

The top 10 games average 81% positive over 8,571 reviews.

Plate 5 · the loss side

What kills games here

Developer outcomes in the last 2 years by share: 3 in 10 under $960, median $1.7k, 1 in 4 over $10k, 1 in 20 over $420k.

3 in 10 developers made under $960. 8 in 10 of the 21 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 78 games are announced against 15 developers who shipped in the last year, ×5.2 per shipper.

Plate 6 · same mechanic, other settings

Adjacent niches

Third-Person Shooter with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.

  1. + RhythmStrong odds6 devs · median $3.3k · 6 announced
  2. + WesternFair15 devs · median $1.4k · 16 announced
  3. + CollectathonLong shot19 devs · median $599 · 20 announced
  4. + Time ManagementLong shot15 devs · median $538 · 12 announced
  5. + Walking SimulatorLong shot27 devs · median $479 · 27 announced
  6. + Class-BasedPoor odds11 devs · median $13k · 53 announced
  7. + Creature CollectorPoor odds12 devs · median $13k · 15 announced
  8. + DinosaursPoor odds8 devs · median $9.0k · 14 announced
  9. + MechsPoor odds38 devs · median $7.2k · 63 announced
  10. + Alternate HistoryPoor odds12 devs · median $6.9k · 70 announced
  11. + Level EditorPoor odds10 devs · median $6.9k · 14 announced
  12. + CraftingPoor odds65 devs · median $5.1k · 156 announced

All 163 pairs on the Third-Person Shooter page

Plate 7 · comparable specimens, by est. revenue

Comparable games

Capsule Game Released Price Reviews Est. copies Est. revenue Developer
Just Cause™ 3 older $19.99 104,140 85% 3.1M $62M (exactly $62,452,758) Avalanche Studios
Just Cause 4 Reloaded older $39.64 23,358 63% 701k $28M (exactly $27,777,334) Avalanche Studios
Just Cause 2 older $14.99 41,019 90% 1.2M $18M (exactly $18,446,244) Avalanche Studios
Flashing Lights - Police, Firefighting, Emergency Services (EMS) Simulator older $24.99 16,166 80% 485k $12M (exactly $12,119,650) Nils Jakrins
Destroy All Humans! older $29.99 8,971 92% 269k $8.1M (exactly $8,071,209) Black Forest Games, Pandemic Studios
EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair older $19.99 7,776 95% 233k $4.7M (exactly $4,663,267) SANDLOT
Exoprimal older $59.99 2,581 76% 77k $4.6M (exactly $4,645,026) CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Over The Top: WWI $19.14 6,683 84% 200k $3.8M (exactly $3,837,379) Flying Squirrel Entertainment
Saints Row®: The Third™ Remastered older $29.99 3,968 73% 119k $3.6M (exactly $3,570,010) Deep Silver Volition, Sperasoft
Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed older $39.99 2,271 79% 68k $2.7M (exactly $2,724,519) Black Forest Games
BLACKWOOD $24.99 565 46% 17k $424k (exactly $423,580) AttritoM7 Productions
Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks $19.99 493 85% 15k $296k (exactly $295,652) Caged Element
BeastLink · EA $19.99 187 45% 5.6k $112k (exactly $112,144) Grove Street Games
TOP DOG $9.99 263 88% 7.9k $79k (exactly $78,821) MorfeoDev
POLARIS™ $19.99 32 59% 960 $19k (exactly $19,190) POLARIS™ Team, Variable State
Ultra Cop $1.99 195 89% 5.9k $12k (exactly $11,642) JG Roos
The Core · EA $19.99 17 70% 510 $10k (exactly $10,195) Electric Machine Games
Maelstrom: The Battle for Earth Begins Enhanced $6.99 33 75% 990 $6.9k (exactly $6,920) KDV Games
Shoot The Barrels $1.99 103 72% 3.1k $6.1k (exactly $6,149) BATTLE LAB

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