How a surprise launch and fortunate timing helped Gray Zone Warfare top Steam

2024 has been the year of surprising indie titles topping the Steam charts. Palworld, Balatro, Manor Lords and many more have all sold incredible amounts and outshone many big AAA releases on the platform, becoming some of the most successful launches of the year so far.

Some have been hotly anticipated before launch, while others have seemingly come out of nowhere – and one that falls into the latter category is Gray Zone Warfare. While the game had built up a small and dedicated community in the previous year or so, no one expected it to do as well as it has, shifting 400,000 units in the first two days and over 900,000 copies in under a month.

There were some external factors that likely helped, which we'll get to in a bit, but one of the reasons for Gray Zone Warfare's success was an effective Early Access launch plan right as the initial budget for the game was starting to dry up and the team had to release the game to the public.

After a few trailers and a select group of influencers being given limited access, which was the only gameplay footage anyone had seen beforehand, developer Madfinger Games gave hundreds of the biggest tactical shooter streamers a build of the game and no restrictions, allowing them to stream to their heart's content. It was a risk, as with no marketing deals in place influencers were free to judge the game however they wanted and a bad reaction could have killed any chance of a successful Early Access launch.

"When you have the backing of creators and fans, word about any game spreads like wildfire. We couldn't have achieved this without their help"

Marek Rabas, Madfinger Games

"Having a pre-alpha playtest for a week with no NDA, then launching the game just days later, it's not something you see every day," says Marek Rabas, CEO of Madfinger Games. "We wanted to be very honest with our community. There were doubts about us due to our previous mobile-only experience and the fiasco with The Day Before, so we wanted to show that it's real and not a scam. When you're making a game, you reach a point where you gotta put it out there in Early Access. Money's not endless, and you want your team to stick around for the long haul."

The risk paid off, with streamers loving the game and hailing it as the next great tactical shooter. Content from the test was pulling in millions of views, and a now sizeable fanbase wanted in after seeing that the game wasn’t a scam. Fortunately for them, Gray Zone Warfare launched into Early Access just under two weeks later, with Madfinger announcing the release 24 hours before it went live at a point when there was almost no option but to get it out to the public.

"We had to release it because the budget was completely depleted," says Rabas. "The key to launching any game into Early Access lies in establishing a solid foundation. It's crucial for players to see the potential for growth and improvement. Despite knowing that our game is only about 20% complete, we were confident in the groundwork we had laid."

But, in a first for the studio, it wasn't just this plan to generate hype and capitalise with a quick launch that helped Gray Zone Warfare top Steam's sales rankings – there was also some fortunate timing. Despite having the release window of late April locked in as early as January, some people assumed the launch was rushed out because Escape From Tarkov, the biggest game in the tactical extraction shooter genre, was having a bit of a meltdown.

As Gray Zone Warfare's influencer test kicked off, Tarkov had just announced a $250 version of the game that included an exclusive new game mode, despite previously selling a $150 version that promised all future DLC. The fanbase revolted and thousands pledged to not play the game again, instead looking for other options.

"The truth is that we were just lucky," says Rabas. "Originally, we had set April 25th as our target [release] date. However, we made the decision to push it back by five days to allow for additional improvements and ensure that we were more prepared for the Early Access launch.

"In the past, when we were releasing Shadowgun Legends on mobile, it was quite the opposite. One week before our release, PUBG launched, and on the same day, Fortnite was released. Additionally, Apple stopped promoting shooters due to mass shootings. It almost killed our company. So, sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you don't."

While Madfinger Games says there is no way to measure the impact the whole Tarkov situation had on the launch and that "conversion from wishlist numbers was standard and the numbers were expected," it’s likely that it played a factor in selling so many copies. With many Tarkov players looking for something else to play, Gray Zone Warfare presented an alternative that was similar enough as well as being new and exciting.

With a lot of buzz around the game at launch, the stage was set for Gray Zone Warfare to rocket up the Steam charts – and that it did. In the first four days it had sold half a million copies, occupying the top seller spot on Steam and even knocking off the wildly successful Manor Lords Early Access launch.

Despite a $34.99 price tag, more than 50% of players have also purchased a special edition of the game that includes some bonus in-game perks. These start at $57.99 and run all the way to $99.99, so aren't exactly cheap additions to an already mid-range base price, and the bonuses you get are by no means mandatory to get the full experience.

"Over 50% of players have opted for the special editions, and I think that sends a clear message from them," says Rabas. "When you have the backing of creators and fans, word about any game spreads like wildfire. We couldn't have achieved this without the help of those who not only have great influence but also those who are passionate about our game.

"We had to release it because the budget was completely depleted"

"It's why we strive to work closely with people and make ourselves available nearly around the clock. During the release, we worked 15-20 hours a day, including weekends, for a little while. We were all-in and will continue to be all-in, though perhaps with fewer long hours and weekends."

This period of crunch was mostly down to technical issues such as server instability and major bugs, which plagued the opening days of the launch, according to Madfinger’s PR and comms cirector Rick Lagnese. Despite the five-day delay from the initially planned release date to implement improvements from the test, there were still a lot of technical issues during launch, and even this delay was not enough to prevent the long hours leading up to it. A longer delay could likely have helped alleviate the crunch period.

Despite a drop-off in sales since launch – some of which Rabas credits to the release of the Arena Breakout Infinite beta, which is also a tactical looter shooter – Gray Zone Warfare's future is now looking strong.

The massive influx of cash from the Early Access release solved the team's budget issues and means they can not only continue building but also expand and make Gray Zone even bigger. In an industry where studios are closing every week, this somewhat unexpected success is a positive tale that was built off a smart release plan, a lot of community support and a bit of fortunate timing.