Dumb Ways to Build launches to strong reviews, with approximately 150,000 units sold
PlaySide Studios (ASX: PLY) has issued a market update on the early performance of Dumb Ways to Build, the first PC/console title based on the Company’s globally recognised Dumb Ways to Die IP. Estimated sales are approximately 150,000 units across all platforms since the 10 September 2026 launch.
Net revenue to PlaySide is estimated at approximately US$0.6m (A$0.9m), which is ahead of internal forecasts.
The title launched simultaneously on Steam (PC), PlayStation and Xbox, with full cross-play support. Players can enjoy a co-operative multiplayer experience with friends regardless of platform.
Benn Skender, PlaySide Studios CEO
“…Having exceeded our internal forecasts for its first month, we are confident Dumb Ways to Build will continue to sell well through the financial year, and that it establishes a platform for gamers to engage with future Dumb Ways titles.”
The performance data represents management’s best estimate as at 7:00am AEDT on Tuesday 6 October 2026.
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Launch metrics at a glance
The table below summarises the key figures from the update. Gross sales and net revenue are different measures and are kept distinct here.
| Metric | Figure | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Units sold | ~150,000 | Estimated sales across all platforms since launch |
| Gross sales | ~US$1.0m (A$1.4m) | Total sales before deductions |
| Net revenue to PlaySide | ~US$0.6m (A$0.9m) | Ahead of internal forecasts |
| Platform mix | Steam ~two-thirds; PlayStation and Xbox ~one-third | Shows where units were sold |
| Total net wishlists | >260,000 | Pipeline for ongoing conversion |
Net revenue is reported revenue net of platform fees, VAT and returns. Unit sales include sales through co-operative game bundles on Steam alongside Bombanana, Shady Job and Frog Sqwad.
PlaySide’s MOUSE opening weekend offers a useful benchmark for these figures, with 360,000 units and US$10.4 million in gross sales across Steam, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch 2.
Player reception and engagement
The title has received strong ratings across all three storefronts:
- Steam: ‘Very Positive’ rating (87% review score)
- Xbox Store: 4.8/5
- PlayStation Store: 4.6/5
Following a launch-weekend peak of more than 1,600 concurrent players on Steam, engagement has settled into a consistent pattern with pronounced weekend peaks. The company says this reflects the social, group-play nature of the title.
Wishlist growth signals a pipeline
The game entered launch with approximately 100,000 Steam wishlists, generated through a pre-launch marketing campaign of less than one month. More than 80% of Steam purchases have come from players who had not wishlisted the title, which the company says reflects strong organic discovery.
Since launch, Steam wishlists have more than doubled. Total net wishlists across Steam, PlayStation and Xbox stand at more than 260,000, which the company describes as a strong pipeline for ongoing conversion alongside future content releases and promotional plans.
How cross-platform co-op launches work for investors
A wishlist is a saved interest in a game that a player can later convert into a purchase. Concurrent players measure how many people are playing at the same moment, an indicator of ongoing engagement.
Gross sales are total sales before deductions, while net revenue is what the developer reports after platform fees, VAT and returns. Together, these measures offer early signals of a game’s sales beyond launch. Strong reviews and wishlist conversion may support sales beyond the launch window, though the company notes early data may not indicate future performance.
Marketing reach and post-launch roadmap
The Dumb Ways to Die brand has more than 11 million followers across its social channels. The marketing strategy continues to focus on social media and creator-driven gameplay content and community engagement. Reach since the reveal includes:
- Brand channels organically driving over 4m views, accounting for more than 10% of global video coverage around the release
- Over 36m views across brand and creator channels
- A peak of over 57,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch
- Content by over 2,600 unique creators
- Coverage by IGN, Loserfruit, Northernlion and Fuslie
- Support from both PlayStation and Xbox global social channels
PlaySide has already delivered new in-game items and a range of quality-of-life improvements informed by player feedback. The company believes ongoing support post-launch will further enhance the commercial performance of the title. The near-term development roadmap includes:
- New levels
- Expansion of online multiplayer beyond the current four player limit
- User-generated content (UGC) support, enabling players to build their own levels
Consistent with the Company’s strategy of cost-effective investment in the Dumb Ways to Die IP, Dumb Ways to Build was developed leveraging existing Dumb Ways assets, enabling a rapid path to market. CEO Benn Skender describes the title as establishing a platform for gamers to engage with future Dumb Ways titles.
What to watch next
Management has pointed to post-launch content delivery, wishlist conversion and continued sales through the financial year. The Company emphasises that early-stage launch data may not be indicative of future sales performance, revenue trajectory or the title’s full lifecycle performance.
Each platform provider updates unit sales data at different intervals, so final reconciled figures may vary.
PlaySide’s Game of Thrones wishlist surge after the gamescom reveal, which took Steam totals past 390,000, shows the next major launch pipeline already building toward early 2027.
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