'I was this close': NH teen's video game makes over $1 million overseas, but he can't keep it

August 1, 2026 - 08:54

An 18-year-old from New Hampshire is speaking out after his indie video game generated over a million dollars in sales overseas, yet he says almost none of that money actually reached him. Michael Major, a recent high school graduate, developed a small PC game that unexpectedly took off on Steam, the popular digital storefront. According to Major, the game pulled in roughly $1.3 million in revenue from international markets, mostly in Asia and Europe.

But here is where the story gets strange. Major claims that due to a mix of confusing tax laws, currency conversion fees, and a publishing deal he signed when he was still a minor, his actual take-home amount was only a few thousand dollars. He described the situation as frustrating, saying he was "this close" to real financial freedom, only to watch the money get eaten up by middlemen and bureaucratic red tape.

The young developer says he was not fully aware of the terms in his contract, which apparently included high commission rates for the publisher handling international sales. He also had to pay hefty withholding taxes in multiple countries, and some payments were held up for months due to banking restrictions. Major has since hired a lawyer to review the agreement, but he admits the process has been a harsh lesson in the business side of game development. He hopes other young creators will read his story and get proper legal advice before signing anything. For now, he is back to working on his next project, determined to keep the profits this time around.