Horses sells 18,000 copies — Santa Ragione’s fight

• Key takeaways:
• Santa Ragione's horror game Horses has sold over 18,000 copies and generated roughly $65,000 in net revenue.
• The game was deplatformed by Valve/Steam and the Epic Games Store, limiting reach and funding options.
• Revenue covers royalties and some debts but is unlikely to reassemble the original team or secure the studio's future.
• Santa Ragione calls for clearer, more transparent rules and accountability from dominant distribution platforms.

Sales, revenue and platform bans

Santa Ragione confirmed Horses has sold more than 18,000 copies, producing around $65,000 in net revenue after launch. That income followed intense coverage of the game's removal from Steam and Epic Games Store, and visible support from GOG.

The studio says the money has helped pay royalties and settle loans, but it falls short of fully recouping prolonged development costs. Those costs were amplified by delays and the scramble for alternative funding after distribution platforms declined to host the title.

Why this won't necessarily save the studio

Santa Ragione warns that the revenue, while meaningful, does not erase the long-term damage caused by the deplatforming. "The Steam ban, and the development delays that followed, forced us into a prolonged scramble for funding," the studio said. "Debt, opportunity cost, and team members taking other work" are ongoing consequences.

The team explained that even if sales remain steady, reuniting the original contributors will be difficult because many have taken other jobs and projects. The studio says future prototyping may be possible, but only if conditions and funding improve.

Platform accountability and industry implications

Santa Ragione used the update to call for "clearer rules, transparent processes, and meaningful accountability from near monopolistic distribution platforms and the systems they enforce." The studio argues that Horses’ visibility is unusual, and that many other developers likely experience quiet bans, delistings, or indefinite reviews without speaking out due to fear of retaliation.

This case highlights how platform gatekeeping can materially affect small developers' business viability. Deplatforming not only limits sales but can trigger delays, funding shortfalls, and fragmentation of teams — consequences that revenue alone may not reverse.

What comes next

Santa Ragione says it may be able to fund a new prototype if sales hold, but cautions that the team has had to accept other work in the interim. The studio’s update frames Horses as both a commercial outcome and a call to action: developers and industry watchers should push for clearer, fairer storefront policies to prevent similar collapses.

The Horses episode will likely remain a reference point for debates over platform power, content moderation, and the economic resilience of independent studios.