It’s not a big deal, but it’s worth mentioning that Aggro Crab felt Gabe Newell’s company was missing something the studio claimed it deserved.
What’s the best thing about making $800,000 a year selling games on Steam? You might think it’s the money, but that’s not the case. In fact, it’s the free chocolate that Valve gives us for making that much money on the digital sales platform. A YouTube video features game marketing consultant Chris Zukowski discussing Valve‘s coveted chocolate category. This special studio group receives a box of delicious chocolate from Valve at the end of the year if their annual revenue reaches $800,000.
Game File interviewed Peak developer Aggro Crab. Co-founder Nick Kaman confirmed that Aggro Crab had been eager to join the chocolate-filled inner circle since releasing its most successful game, Another Crab’s Treasure, before Peak. Despite generating sufficient revenue, the team did not receive a gift from Valve in 2024, which was painful. When Kaman emailed Valve about this, he received an apology. The team’s unease was further heightened by the fact that Aggro Crab is located in the same building as Mega Crit, the developer of Slay the Spire. As expected, that team receives chocolate from Gabe Newell and his colleagues every year.
Kaman briefly expressed his dissatisfaction in the interview. He mentioned that Mega Crit received chocolate every year, yet they did not. Of course, Peak topped the sales charts in 2025, and Aggro Crab finally received chocolate. Victory turned out to have a sweet taste and a caramel filling. In any case, this is a kind of motivation to perform better. It can be considered a reward, although it is not a significant financial gain for the developers. Still, it is a kind of recognition from Valve.
