Should I ship a PvE MOBA?
MOBA + PvE
Of 22 developers who shipped a PvE MOBA 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.. 60 more are announced, ×4.3 for every developer who shipped in the last year.
Verdict: dead, for a 9 / 10 build.
The middle developer here made $450 in the last 2 years and $480 over 4, against a market of $1.3k for a 9 / 10 build. 14 developers shipped in the last year and 60 games are announced.
| Bottom 30% | $0 (exactly $0) |
|---|---|
| Median | $449 (exactly $449) |
| Top 25% | $13k (exactly $12,594) |
| Top 5% | $1.1M (exactly $1,143,028) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 22 |
| Released games | 71 |
| Announced | 60 |
| Effort | 9 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| Typical price | $4.99 |
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 140% on the market, supply 75% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 31%, excluded from money figures.
Can AI deliver it?
AI-buildability for this niche is low: the lowest rating among its tags.
What it takes
- Effort
- 9 / 10 · studio only
- Systems
- MOBA, PvE; 6 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, Co-op, Online Co-Op
- Price point
- $4.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
- Art
- 4 in 10 of the top 25% ship with Stylized, Top-Down, 3D
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $4.99.
The top 10 games average 86% positive over 18,804 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $50. 8 in 10 of the 13 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 60 games are announced against 14 developers who shipped in the last year, ×4.3 per shipper.
Adjacent niches
MOBA with a different second tag, ranked by verdict then median.
- + RoguelitePoor odds
- + AdventurePoor odds
- + Tower DefensePoor odds
- + FantasyPoor odds
- + Character CustomizationPoor odds
- + Online Co-OpPoor odds
- + Co-opPoor odds
- + ActionPoor odds
- + SimulationPoor odds
- + RPGPoor odds
- + Hero ShooterDead
- + SurvivalDead
Comparable games
Shape of Dreams 2025 · $12M 
EverSiege: Untold Ages 2026 · $1.1M 
Demigod 2011 · $303k 
AXYOS 2018 · $244k 
WAR RATS: The Rat em Up 2025 · $137k | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Shape of Dreams | $24.99 | 15,769 89% | 473k | $12M (exactly $11,822,019) | Lizard Smoothie | |
| | EverSiege: Untold Ages | $19.99 | 1,906 68% | 57k | $1.1M (exactly $1,143,028) | Tindalos Interactive | |
| | Demigod | older | $9.99 | 1,011 75% | 30k | $303k (exactly $302,997) | Gas Powered Games |
| | AXYOS | older | $4.99 | 1,629 52% | 49k | $244k (exactly $243,861) | Axyos Games |
| | WAR RATS: The Rat em Up | $11.99 | 382 95% | 11k | $137k (exactly $137,405) | wootusart Industries | |
 | Goonya Monster | older | $19.99 | 185 76% | 5.6k | $111k (exactly $110,944) | MUTAN |
 | VOIDCRISIS | older | $29.99 | 122 54% | 3.7k | $110k (exactly $109,763) | HEXADRIVE Inc. |
 | Last Flag | $4.99 | 576 73% | 17k | $86k (exactly $86,227) | Night Street Games | |
 | Bloodsports.TV | older | $9.99 | 255 83% | 7.7k | $76k (exactly $76,424) | Toadman Interactive, Fatshark |
 | SPACECOM | older | $9.99 | 197 62% | 5.9k | $59k (exactly $59,041) | Flow Combine |
 | Girl Frame | $14.99 | 69 68% | 2.1k | $31k (exactly $31,029) | Meow Run, Cat Shine | |
 | Cyber Clutch: Hot Import Nights | $19.99 | 21 61% | 630 | $13k (exactly $12,594) | Gunpowder Games, Focuspoint Studios | |
 | NeverCOM | · EA | $4.99 | 49 95% | 1.5k | $7.3k (exactly $7,335) | Shenzhen Huajian Network Technology Co.… (Shenzhen Huajian Network Technology Co., Ltd) |
 | Luna & Sol: Nightmare Ward | $7.99 | 13 76% | 390 | $3.1k (exactly $3,116) | PLAY Mephistowaltz | |
 | Battle Waves: Card Tactics | $5.99 | 15 73% | 450 | $2.7k (exactly $2,696) | CAGE Studios | |
 | Handgun Football | $3.99 | 4 50% | 120 | $479 (exactly $479) | )erek( |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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