# The Drone Racing League Simulator

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

- Steam appid: 641780
- Developer: The Drone Racing League
- Released: 2017 · Genre: Action · List price: $9.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $938 to $1.4k per month (mid $1.2k)
- Opportunity score: $2.2k/month at x1.90 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 220.7k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $473.9k
- Review sentiment: 80% positive across 4474 reviews (4013 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 21.8 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 3.3 years
- Studio quiet across its whole catalog
- Last build shipped 33 months ago
- Store page localized in only 2 language(s)

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

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $2.1k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $1.9k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $1.7k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.2k |

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

34, 35, 34, 40, 42, 44, 45, 35, 34, 29, 33, 21, 26, 22, 16, 22, 73, 81, 21, 26, 23, 24, 18, 19

## Estimated acquisition range

$28.1k to $56.3k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $14.1k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Official drone racing simulator from the Drone Racing League, offering single-player and competitive multiplayer flight training.

The Drone Racing League Simulator sits on $474k lifetime revenue and $1.2k/mo residual with 80% positive review sentiment, but the community is unified around one critical failure: online infrastructure appears defunct. For a publisher or the DRL itself, this represents a salvageable asset if server connectivity can be restored; for an outside buyer, the licensed-IP status and operator dependency make acquisition impractical without DRL partnership. The quiet 22-month dormancy and zero recent developer updates suggest deprioritization rather than technical obsolescence.

- Most realistic play: publishing
- Licensed IP: the game is built on third-party intellectual property
- Risk (licensed_ip): Game is built on and marketed under the Drone Racing League brand; any meaningful revival or platform shift requires DRL consent and active partnership.
- Risk (multiplayer): Online authentication and leaderboard infrastructure is non-functional; restoration requires live-ops investment and ongoing server maintenance.
- Risk (other): Developer (DRL itself) has posted no updates in 40 months; studio status is marked fading with only one title in portfolio.

What players are asking for:
- Restore online multiplayer and custom drone setup functionality
- Fix offline mode stability and tutorial quality
- Resume post-launch support and balance patches for non-freestyle flight modes

Suggested first moves:
1. Confirm with DRL whether server shutdown was deliberate cost-cutting or technical failure; assess appetite to re-engage the simulator as a brand vehicle or esports training tool.
2. Audit online backend: determine if servers are off but recoverable, or if code/keys are lost. Cost a minimal resurrection (authentication + leaderboard only) versus full feature parity.
3. If DRL declines hands-on revival, explore whether a publishing partner can license the IP for a 2-3 month stabilization pass: restore multiplayer, fix offline crashes, ship one goodwill patch. Current $1.2k/mo could double with trust restored.

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/641780
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.