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Should I ship a Strategy MOBA?
MOBA + Strategy
Of 36 developers who shipped a paid Strategy 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.. 5 in 10 of the games here are free to play and sit outside these figures. 126 more are announced, ×5.7 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 $450 over 4, against a market of $1.3k for a 9 / 10 build. 22 developers shipped in the last year and 126 games are announced.
| Bottom 30% | $119 (exactly $119) |
|---|---|
| Median | $449 (exactly $449) |
| Top 25% | $4.8k (exactly $4,794) |
| Top 5% | $1.1M (exactly $1,143,028) |
| Developers, 2 yr | 36 |
| Released games | 251 |
| Announced | 126 |
| Effort | 9 / 10 |
| AI-buildability | Low |
| Typical price | $5.99 |
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 280% on the market, supply 55% more developers than the period before.
Free games: 49%, 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, Strategy; 3 in 10 of the top 25% also carry Action, PvP, Base Building
- Price point
- $5.99 typical · top 25% priced $19.99 or above
- Art
- 3 in 10 of the top 25% ship with 2D, Top-Down
Why players buy here
The top 25% priced at $19.99 or above; the middle game at $5.99.
The top 10 games average 37% positive over 24,992 reviews.
What kills games here
3 in 10 developers made under $120. 8 in 10 of the 38 games released 1 to 2 years ago have fewer than 100 reviews. 126 games are announced against 22 developers who shipped in the last year, ×5.7 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
FOR HONOR™ 2017 · $98M 
NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER 2023 · $26M 
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III 2017 · $17M 
Awesomenauts 2012 · $7.1M 
BidKing 2026 · $2.0M | Capsule | Game | Released | Price | Reviews | Est. copies | Est. revenue | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | FOR HONOR™ | older | $29.99 | 108,492 69% | 3.3M | $98M (exactly $97,610,252) | Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Quebec, Ubiso… (Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft Toronto, Blue Byte) |
| | NARUTO TO BORUTO: SHINOBI STRIKER | older | $19.99 | 42,572 84% | 1.3M | $26M (exactly $25,530,428) | Soleil Ltd. |
| | Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III | older | $39.99 | 14,436 50% | 433k | $17M (exactly $17,318,869) | Relic Entertainment, Feral Interactive… (Relic Entertainment, Feral Interactive (Mac), Feral Interactive (Linux)) |
| | Awesomenauts | older | $19.99 | 11,822 84% | 355k | $7.1M (exactly $7,089,653) | Ronimo Games |
| | BidKing | $2.99 | 22,238 33% | 667k | $2.0M (exactly $1,994,749) | MindSurge Network & Games | |
 | EverSiege: Untold Ages | $19.99 | 1,906 68% | 57k | $1.1M (exactly $1,143,028) | Tindalos Interactive | |
 | Command & Conquer™ 4 Tiberian Twilight | older | $6.96 | 4,832 16% | 145k | $1.0M (exactly $1,008,922) | EA Los Angeles |
 | MageQuit | older | $14.99 | 1,032 94% | 31k | $464k (exactly $464,090) | Bowlcut Studios |
 | Esports Life Tycoon | older | $19.99 | 605 61% | 18k | $363k (exactly $362,818) | UPLAY Online |
 | Demigod | older | $9.99 | 1,011 75% | 30k | $303k (exactly $302,997) | Gas Powered Games |
 | WAR RATS: The Rat em Up | $11.99 | 382 95% | 11k | $137k (exactly $137,405) | wootusart Industries | |
 | Pennon and Battle | $18.99 | 175 69% | 5.3k | $100k (exactly $99,697) | PB Studio | |
 | STARVAULT VR | $24.99 | 66 89% | 2.0k | $49k (exactly $49,480) | Theia Games | |
 | Girl Frame | $14.99 | 69 68% | 2.1k | $31k (exactly $31,029) | Meow Run, Cat Shine | |
 | Sanguo's Ambition 4 :Three Kingdoms | $9.99 | 101 68% | 3.0k | $30k (exactly $30,270) | Youshen Interactive | |
 | Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss | $19.99 | 22 63% | 660 | $13k (exactly $13,193) | Polyarc | |
 | Goo Goo Grapplers | $7.99 | 20 100% | 600 | $4.8k (exactly $4,794) | Both Good | |
 | Luna & Sol: Nightmare Ward | $7.99 | 13 76% | 390 | $3.1k (exactly $3,116) | PLAY Mephistowaltz |
Estimates: copies = reviews × 30, gross = copies × list price.
Five niches a week, one death, one deep dive.
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