# Hubris

> ResidualPlay case file: an overlooked Steam game still earning residual revenue. Estimates carry a ±30-50% error range per title.

- Steam appid: 1265800
- Developer: Cyborn B.V.
- Released: 2022 · Genre: Action · List price: $29.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.1k to $1.7k per month (mid $1.4k)
- Opportunity score: $2.4k/month at x1.65 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 26.1k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $195.0k
- Review sentiment: 75% positive across 874 reviews (815 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 7.7 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 24 months
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 24 months ago
- Last discounted 1 months ago, 7 sales in the last 12 months

## Where a gross dollar goes (monthly, at current velocity)

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $2.6k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.3k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.0k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.4k |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (24 months)

9, 26, 14, 10, 9, 18, 12, 10, 9, 10, 7, 6, 5, 9, 6, 5, 12, 9, 11, 6, 12, 7, 1, 9

## Estimated acquisition range

$34.4k to $68.8k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $17.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Hubris is a linear VR action-adventure built around climbing, swimming, and combat mechanics in an alien setting.

This title has pulled $195k lifetime on 26k units sold, generating $1,433/mo currently, with 75% positive reviews despite zero marketing activity in 23+ months. The core loop (climbing + swimming + combat) resonates with VR enthusiasts, but technical optimization issues and short playtime have capped both attach rate and word-of-mouth. For a VR-focused publisher or a studio rebuilding a dormant catalog, a performance patch plus modest seasonal discounting could stabilize recurring revenue and unlock licensing potential; for a generalist acquirer, the upside is marginal without developer bandwidth.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (tech): Multiple reports of stuttering, frame drops, and VR motion sickness suggest optimization gaps that may require engine rework or hardware-specific tuning.
- Risk (market): Single-title studio with no post-launch updates in 23 months indicates developer capacity constraints or disengagement.
- Risk (other): Short campaign length (players report 6-7 hours) and straightforward story limit replay value and community stickiness.

What players are asking for:
- Performance optimization for frame rate and motion sickness mitigation
- More content or sequel to extend playtime beyond 6-7 hours
- Checkpoint/save system improvements and enemy spawn logic fixes

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit engine performance bottlenecks (especially frame pacing and motion prediction) and estimate cost of a stability patch targeting 90 FPS on mid-range VR hardware.
2. Test seasonal 20-30% discount windows (current max 80% unused) to measure price elasticity (0.86) and whether modest sales spikes can fund a part-time QA or community manager.
3. Reach out to Cyborn B.V. to clarify development roadmap, available source code state, and appetite for publishing partnership vs. acquisition; confirm IP ownership is fully clear and unencumbered.

Generated 2026-08-20 from public signals and player reviews. Directional, not diligence.

## Methodology

Units are estimated from Steam-purchase reviews times a release-cohort multiplier (Boxleiter method, 20-75x by year). Revenue uses an effective price (lifetime discounts and regional pricing) and nets out VAT (~13%), refunds (~9.5%) and Steam's 30% cut: roughly 55% of gross reaches the developer.

Source: https://residualplay.com/game/1265800
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.