# iRacing

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

- Steam appid: 266410
- Developer: iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations
- Released: 2015 · Genre: Massively Multiplayer · List price: $11.59
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $8.6k to $12.9k per month (mid $10.7k)
- Opportunity score: $16.1k/month at x1.50 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 378.3k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $942.4k
- Review sentiment: 85% positive across 7504 reviews (5820 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 172.3 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer active, last post 1 months ago
- Studio active elsewhere (2 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 1 months ago
- Store page localized in only 1 language(s)
- No Steam discount in 4.0 years (deepest tracked: -0%)

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $19.5k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $17.0k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $15.3k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $10.7k |

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

75, 91, 68, 97, 118, 109, 70, 116, 103, 111, 154, 166, 161, 199, 130, 160, 198, 166, 153, 176, 178, 125, 199, 203

## Missed seasonal-sale revenue (modeled)

Skipped 12 Steam seasonal sale window(s) in the last 24 months. Running a -50% discount in those windows is modeled at +$58.0k net in total, assuming a unit uplift of x3.0 (industry-typical for old catalog titles). Same ±30-50% error range applies.

## Estimated acquisition range

$257.6k to $515.2k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $128.8k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

iRacing is a subscription-based competitive online racing simulator with real-world physics and race licensing, generating consistent monthly revenue despite high player acquisition friction.

iRacing sits at an unusual inflection point: it owns the premium sim-racing niche with 85% positive reviews, lifetime revenue of $942k, and steady monthly residual of $10.7k/mo, yet churns new players due to its layered monetization (subscription + car/track DLC + safety-rating friction). For a strategic buyer, this is acquisition-proof (iRacing.com owns and operates the title independently), but represents a strong licensing or partnership opportunity if a larger publisher wanted to acquire distribution rights, bundle it into a racing umbrella, or negotiate a content-sharing arrangement. The 172 reviews/mo velocity and $16k/mo opportunity suggest untapped casual-to-mid-tier demand.

- Most realistic play: licensing
- Risk (market): Extreme customer acquisition cost and churn due to subscription + DLC paywall; new players hit safety-rating and content walls within weeks.
- Risk (multiplayer): Community reports widespread poor-sportsmanship enforcement; safety-rating system is viewed as unreliable, driving disengagement among mid-tier players.
- Risk (other): Steam integration causes recurring login and library-repair issues that create friction during subscription renewal, potentially suppressing Steam-specific cohort retention.

What players are asking for:
- Lower subscription and DLC pricing, or move to one-time purchase model
- Overhaul safety-rating system to reduce false-positive DQs and penalize intentional wreckers more fairly
- Offer instant-queue races on repeated tracks instead of mandatory practice windows
- Fix Steam account-linking and login stability on subscription renewal

Suggested first moves:
1. Negotiate a licensing or publishing partnership to distribute iRacing bundled with broader racing titles (e.g., as a 'pro tier' add-on to a multiplatform racing portfolio), potentially lowering per-title acquisition friction.
2. Commission a detailed safety-rating telemetry audit to quantify false-positive DQ rates and identify quick wins in adjudication logic that could lower mid-tier churn without rebuilding the whole system.
3. Propose a Steam-exclusive 'lite' subscription tier (lower price, curated car/track starter pack) to test whether pricing segmentation can convert the 2-50 hour cohort without cannibalizing full-price subs.

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/266410
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.