You’ve spent years crafting your game. You’re ready to hit the "Publish" button on Steam and share your vision with the world. But "the world" is a big place, and a significant—and growing—majority of it doesn't speak English as its first language.
Failing to translate your game is no longer a missed opportunity; it's a critical financial bottleneck. The Steam Hardware & Software Survey consistently shows that English speakers make up less than 40% of the platform's user base. This means 60% or more of your total addressable market is browsing, and potentially skipping, your game in another language.
Choosing your "what's next" is a crucial ROI decision. Adding languages costs money, but adding the right languages first can fundamentally change your game's success. Here’s a data-backed breakdown of where to place your bets.
The New Default: Simplified Chinese
For years, developers debated whether to add Chinese. That debate is over.
Simplified Chinese has cemented itself as the second-largest, and often the largest, language block on Steam, consistently fluctuating between 20% and 30% of all users. This isn't a "growth market" anymore; it's a core pillar of the PC gaming economy.
The Market: The sheer volume is staggering. Unlocking this single language can, in many cases, double your potential audience.
Player Expectation: This audience is engaged, vocal, and has a proven willingness to spend on titles that respect them. "No Chinese?" is one of the fastest ways to accumulate negative reviews from a region that feels overlooked. Conversely, a high-quality localization is frequently praised and can drive viral word-of-mouth recommendations.
The ROI: Frankly, skipping Simplified Chinese is like building a retail store and locking the front door to a third of your potential customers. It should be the first language you greenlight after English.
The Passionate Powerhouse: Russian
The next language on your list should almost always be Russian. The Russian-speaking community consistently holds the #3 spot on Steam, with a stable 8-10% of the user base.
The Market: This is a massive, highly dedicated PC-first gaming culture. They are passionate, deeply engaged, and play a wide variety of genres.
Player Expectation: There is a deep-seated cultural expectation that successful international games will be available in Russian (at minimum, with subtitles). Failing to provide it isn't just a missing feature; it's often taken as a sign of disrespect. This can lead to vocal community backlash and review-bombing from players who feel excluded.
The ROI: The cost of Russian localization is typically very reasonable, and the return is access to a top-three market that will fiercely support games that support them. The cost of not localizing, in terms of negative community sentiment, can be higher than the translation bill itself.
The High-Value Classics: German, Spanish, and French
Once you have Chinese and Russian secured, you can look to the traditional "EFIGS" markets. Of these, German is the clear priority.
German (approx. 3-5%): Germany is an economic powerhouse and often the largest, highest-spending PC market in Europe. Players here have a high average spend and a strong preference for localized content, especially for text-heavy genres like RPGs, strategy, and simulations.
Spanish (Spain) (approx. 2-3%): Localizing for Spain is a valuable two-for-one. It directly serves the high-value Spanish market while also acting as a "gateway" localization for the enormous and rapidly expanding Latin American (LATAM) market. While LATAM Spanish is distinct, a neutral Spanish (or Spain-Spanish) is far better than English alone.
French (approx. 2-3%): A mature and culturally proud market. French players strongly appreciate and, for narrative-heavy titles, often demand French localization.
Execution is Your Final Quality Gate
This data-driven priority list is the "what." The "how" is just as critical.
A bad translation, one full of errors, literalism, or cultural blunders, is often more damaging than no translation at all. Players will notice, and your reviews will be eviscerated. This is not the place to cut corners with the cheapest bidder. Your localization budget is an investment in your game's global reputation.
This is where a partner's pedigree is non-negotiable. You need a team that doesn't just translate words but understands games. A specialized service like Artlangs Translation exemplifies this deep focus. With years of dedicated experience, they understand the specific nuances of game localization, from UI constraints to narrative tone. Their proficiency in over 230+ languages is built on a foundation of proven, high-quality projects. They have a rich history in the entire media ecosystem, including video and short drama localization, game subtitling, and even multi-language dubbing for short dramas and audiobooks.
This breadth of experience, backed by excellent case studies, means they have the infrastructure and proven expertise to handle the complex, multi-layered task of bringing your game to the world—correctly, the first time.
