Horses Sells 18K Copies Despite Steam and Epic Bans

• Sold over 18,000 copies and generated roughly $65,000 net revenue.
• Santa Ragione repaid development loans and royalties to creator Andrea Lucco Borlera.
• Bans from Steam and the Epic Games Store limited the game's reach and left the studio unable to fund a new project yet.
• Santa Ragione calls for clearer, more transparent storefront rules and accountability.

Sales, revenue and debt repayment

Santa Ragione announced that Horses has sold more than 18,000 copies since its November release, bringing in approximately $65,000 in net revenue. That income covered the loans the studio took to finish development and paid royalties owed to Horses creator Andrea Lucco Borlera.

"We are extremely grateful to players and to everyone who supported the release by sharing the game and amplifying what happened around it. Paying our debts is a success, and we are relieved," the studio said.

Why the Steam and Epic bans mattered

Horses was refused distribution on Steam and was also blocked from the Epic Games Store before release. Steam’s decision — and Epic’s eleventh-hour ban — drew media attention and put the studio in jeopardy during a fragile phase of finishing and launching the title.

Santa Ragione says Steam’s economics rely on long-tail sales and promotional channels such as key distribution through bundles, which are harder to replicate on smaller storefronts. That structural difference means the studio cannot know how Horses might have performed with a full Steam release.

Valve’s opacity and platform accountability

The studio remains unsure of Valve’s exact reasons for declining to carry Horses. Santa Ragione used its announcement to push for clearer rules and transparent processes from major digital platforms.

"For every case like Horses that becomes visible, there are many more games that are quietly banned, delisted, or trapped in indefinite review for unclear reasons," the studio said. It thanked journalists who reported on the case and urged attention to near-monopolistic distribution platforms and the systems they enforce.

Team impact and the road ahead

While repaying debts is a major milestone for the small indie studio, the revenue haul isn’t enough to finance a new full project. Staff have taken other jobs and freelance work, and the team will not be easily reunited even if Santa Ragione can fund a prototype later.

"If sales remain steady, we may be able to fund a new prototype in the future, but the team has had to, and will continue to, take other jobs and projects in the meantime," the studio said.

Horses in context

Announced in 2023 and delayed from 2024 into 2025, Horses is a provocative first-person narrative horror experience noted for its silent-film aesthetic and unsettling imagery. Eurogamer gave the game a four-star review, calling it a "subversive" and unconventional exploration of timely themes.