Santa Ragione’s provocative horror Horses sells 18,000 copies – but it may not be enough to save the studio

Santa Ragione’s controversial horror game, Horses, has sold over 18,000 copies despite being deplatformed from Steam and Epic Games Store.

Earlier this month, Italian developer Santa Ragione stated in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz that it could face closure after Valve said it would not host its upcoming horror title Horses on Steam.

The studio said that this decision has meant it is unable to reach the biggest audience for PC and thus is unlikely to recoup the project’s development costs, an issue only compounded a few days later, when Epic Games Store also withdrew support for the provocative game.

Now, in a new update, the team says it has generated around $65,000 in net revenue “following extraordinary coverage of the bans, GOG’s public support, and a very positive reaction from players.” But while that helps pay royalties and settle loans, it’s not enough to shore up the future of the studio.

“The money primarily covers obligations created by a prolonged end of development,” Santa Ragione said. “If sales remain steady, we may be able to fund a new prototype in the future, but the team has had to, and will continue to, take other jobs and projects in the meantime. Reuniting everyone will not be easy, even if it is something we would love.

“We also want to be clear about why this success does not erase the impact of what happened. The Steam ban, and the development delays that followed, forced us into a prolonged scramble for funding, with debt, opportunity cost, and team members taking other work.

“That fragmentation is a lasting consequence, even if the launch outcome has been meaningful and positive in important ways.”

Santa Ragione also took the opportunity to call for “clearer rules, transparent processes, and meaningful accountability from near monopolistic distribution platforms and the systems they enforce.”

“For every case like Horses that becomes visible, there are many more games that are quietly banned, delisted, or trapped in indefinite review for unclear reasons, with developers too worried about retaliation or future approval to speak publicly,” it added.