# Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

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

- Steam appid: 560130
- Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher: Versus Evil
- Released: 2018 · Genre: RPG · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $5.1k to $7.6k per month (mid $6.3k)
- Opportunity score: $12.0k/month at x1.90 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 730.2k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $3.1M
- Review sentiment: 88% positive across 20015 reviews (14605 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 59.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 2.7 years
- Studio active elsewhere (15 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 36 months ago
- Last discounted 0 months ago, 7 sales in the last 12 months

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $11.5k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $10.0k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $9.1k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $6.3k |

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

78, 78, 62, 109, 94, 101, 114, 117, 82, 60, 87, 79, 57, 47, 53, 45, 74, 71, 65, 44, 64, 60, 59, 62

## Estimated acquisition range

$152.1k to $304.2k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $76.1k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

A 2018 isometric CRPG by Obsidian Entertainment featuring real-time-with-pause and turn-based combat, companion-driven narrative, and a pirate-themed archipelago setting.

Deadfire remains a quiet cash generator: $6.3k/mo residual with 88% positive sentiment and 730k lifetime units suggest a healthy, stable tail audience. The game is not a candidate for acquisition, Obsidian is operating, profitable and focused on Avowed, but it is a publishing or revival opportunity if the IP holder (Versus Evil) seeks to monetize dormant seasonal campaigns, lapsed-player re-engagement, or a deluxe edition bundling DLC. Community feedback reveals a genre classic that punches above mainstream awareness, undercut mainly by slow pacing and known bugs that remain unfixed.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Risk (tech): Persistent item-loss bug noted by 414h player suggests backend data integrity issues that may deter hardcore retention; bug reportedly unaddressed across release window.
- Risk (market): Slow narrative burn and dense systems design alienate mainstream audiences despite critical acclaim in hardcore CRPG community; velocity has softened to 44–65 monthly units (24m average).
- Risk (other): Developer (Obsidian) has moved to Avowed and Microsoft ecosystem; no dev posts in 32 months suggests low priority for patches, balance updates or seasonal content.

What players are asking for:
- Fix item-loss and equipment-persistence bugs affecting endgame progression.
- Clarify DLC availability and respec mechanics; make bounty markers more discoverable.
- Address turn-based mode difficulty balance and late-game power scaling.

Suggested first moves:
1. Commission a technical audit of the item-loss bug and other data-layer issues; cost of a hotfix patch versus reputational value to the back catalog may justify investment.
2. Survey lapsed players (last login 6+ months) on barriers to return: seasonal cosmetics, balance passes, or story DLC expansions may reactivate $2–4k/mo incremental revenue.
3. Evaluate licensing Deadfire IP for an Avowed crossover cosmetic or narrative tie-in; Microsoft owns Obsidian and may support catalog synergy.

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/560130
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.