# Tomb Raider: Legend

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

- Steam appid: 7000
- Developer: Crystal Dynamics
- Released: 2007 · Genre: Action · List price: $6.99
- Deal grade: B (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $1.5k to $2.2k per month (mid $1.8k)
- Opportunity score: $3.4k/month at x1.85 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 402.7k · Est. lifetime net revenue: $605.0k
- Review sentiment: 88% positive across 6081 reviews (5369 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 49.2 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 18 months
- Studio active elsewhere (12 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 12.5 years 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 | $3.4k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $2.9k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $2.6k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $1.8k |

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

34, 41, 61, 34, 37, 56, 42, 55, 31, 28, 46, 40, 37, 38, 37, 44, 128, 73, 59, 35, 49, 35, 54, 63

## Estimated acquisition range

$44.3k to $88.6k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $22.2k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

Tomb Raider: Legend is a 2007 action-adventure platformer that modernized the franchise with fluid acrobatics, environmental puzzles, and exotic locales across a single-player narrative.

Legend remains the franchise's critical hinge point, earning 87.5% positive reviews and generating $1.8k/mo residual revenue on a $6.99 price despite being 17 years old and a rough PC port. For studios or publishers seeking to revive dormant mid-2000s action-adventure IP with proven fandom, this title's steady review velocity (49/mo) and reasonable player retention suggest a remaster or delisted-licensing acquisition could unlock significant upside, especially if paired with Anniversary and Underworld as a trilogy bundle.

- Most realistic play: revival
- Risk (tech): Multiple players report crashes on modern hardware, black screens, and display calibration issues; PC port quality is acknowledged as inferior to console versions.
- Risk (market): Released only 1.1 months ago with a discount (86% max in history); aggressive promotion may signal declining organic demand or a pre-delisting clearance.
- Risk (other): Boss fights and camera controls are cited as dated frustrations; mechanical polish would be required for a successful remaster campaign.

What players are asking for:
- Remaster with modernized graphics and smoother mechanics
- Bug and glitch fixes, especially crash-on-resume stability
- Better camera and boss-fight design
- Bundle with Tomb Raider Anniversary and Underworld for trilogy appeal

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit IP ownership and delisting status: confirm Crystal Dynamics retains full rights and evaluate whether recent discount signals imminent removal (which would unlock acquisition opportunity).
2. Conduct technical review of PC port against 2006 console original and Anniversary; map repair scope (stability, resolution, controller mapping, widescreen UI) for remaster feasibility and cost.
3. Analyze trilogy bundle economics: test bundling Legend + Anniversary + Underworld at $14.99–$19.99 to measure lift in reviews_per_month, residual revenue, and cross-title adoption.

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/7000
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.