Steam has a “chocolate tier” with Christmas gifts for successful developers

Success on Steam isn't just reflected in sales figures or review scores – it can also be seen in the Christmas mail developers receive. At the end of the year, Valve sends boxes of chocolates along with greeting cards to selected partners. Among developers, the practice has become known as the "Chocolate Tier": Generate enough revenue and you effectively join the chocolate club.

A recent post on the Steam subreddit has brought renewed attention to the tradition. User u/ichbinhamma shared a photo of a generously filled box of chocolates accompanied by a greeting card from the Steam team. The photo was actually taken last year, but the gift-giving appears to be an annual tradition.

Conflicting reports on revenue thresholds

Game marketing consultant Chris Zukowski has also looked into the "Chocolate Tier". In a blog post from December 2025, he described a smaller box being sent to developers with around $900,000 in gross revenue, while larger gifts reportedly went to those exceeding $1 million. However, he explicitly noted that his findings were based on a small sample. According to Zukowski, European developers receive chocolates from La Maison du Chocolat, while recipients in North America get chocolates from Fran's.

Whether Valve actually uses the term "Chocolate Tier" internally, and whether there are fixed revenue thresholds for receiving chocolates, remains unclear. Reddit users have occasionally mentioned different figures. Some claim the entry threshold is "just" $800,000, while developers supposedly need to generate $2 million in revenue to qualify for a larger box. Which figures are correct remains a mystery, but either way, it's a nice Christmas tradition.