Unlock a New Market Revenue: The Clear Case for Turkish Game Localization
For game developers seeking global growth, one opportunity consistently ranks high: Türkiye. With its vast, young, and digitally connected population, the Turkish market represents a significant number of untapped players. However, reaching this audience effectively requires more than just making a game available; it requires speaking their language. Adding Turkish language support is not merely a logistical step; it is a strategic investment that is proven by the statistics provided.
The Problem at Hand: Majority of Turkish players don’t know English
A common assumption is that a global audience can default to English. In Türkiye, however, this assumption can be a critical misstep. According to the EF English Proficiency Index 2025, which ranks countries based on adult English skills, Türkiye falls within the “Low proficiency” category.
(Data/Image taken from World population review education – English Proficiency Index by Country 2025) Moreover, Türkiye’s rating has decreased compared to last year. This basically means that our proficiency in English is getting worse. Statistics show that Türkiye’s previous score was 497, just 3 points away from reaching the “Moderate proficiency” level. However, in 2025, the score dropped to 488, placing Türkiye second to last in European rankings.
(Data/Image taken from EF English Proficiency Index – Europe Regional ranking of 2025) This ranking highlights a fundamental market reality: a significant portion of the Turkish audience may struggle with English-only interfaces, complex in game texts, and nuanced storylines, making many players hesitate to purchase games they cannot fully understand.
While many core gamers have functional English skills, localization removes a substantial barrier for the Turkish player base, allowing them to engage with the game. Although this cannot be proven by data, Turkish players often reward such localization efforts with loyalty.
Estimating the Impact on Revenue: A Data-Informed Perspective
Now that we have established the statistical fact of Türkiye's low English proficiency, we can look at the examples of games that decided to give the Turkish player base a chance. This post will provide two different examples from two different perspectives. The first examines a game that added Turkish localization post-launch, while the second compares two different yet similar titles, where one launched with Turkish support and the other did not.
The first example focuses on how much revenue increased after the game added Turkish language support. It also allows us to examine more reliable data from a single game, since many factors can influence a game’s revenue, such as genre, trends at the time, community size, and price. Therefore, analyzing a single game provides the most accurate data possible by controlling for these variables.
On the other hand, the second example will give us another perspective. These are two games with similar genres and characteristics; their only difference is whether they include Turkish language support or not. It should be noted that although these games were intended to be similar, they are still distinct titles, which may affect the data.
The first example: Disco Elysium
Before we dive into the statistics, a brief overview of the game is necessary. Disco Elysium is a critically acclaimed, story-driven RPG known for its rich narrative, unique skill system, and detective gameplay. Players take on the role of an amnesiac cop solving a murder in a gritty, politically complex city, blending fantasy elements with philosophical themes and a choice-based narrative.
Disco Elysium was first released for Windows on October 15, 2019. While the game was well received globally, it did not gain much traction in Türkiye. In fact, most of the Turkish player base had little awareness of the game, due to its text-heavy nature and lack of Turkish language support.
Now, the data provided below will be our main focus.
The data in the screenshot shows us the number of user reviews published over time. Each vertical column represents a month, starting with October. Now, as you may have noticed, there are two distinct peaks... The first peak occurs shortly after the game’s release, reflecting the expected surge of reviews for a newly published game.
But what about the second one? Take a guess.
This peak occurred when the game received the update adding Turkish language support on October 24, 2022. It just surpassed the peak that Disco Elysium reached at launch. This has significance because a game's release period typically generates its highest volume of reviews. It was huge news that the Turkish player base, brought even more reviews than the game did when it first came out.
(Note: Why did I add the review count for November rather than October? Because only six days remained in that month, and including only those six days of Turkish reviews could be misleading if presented as a full month’s data.)
Calculating the exact revenue after releasing Turkish language support is nearly impossible, but we can estimate it. Disco Elysium cost ₺80 back when Steam supported TRY currency (which ended on November 20, 2023). The game now costs $17, reflecting localized pricing set by the developers.
According to Steam Review data, before Turkish support, Disco Elysium had only 534 reviews from Turkish users. The total number of reviews Disco Elysium had before Turkish support is 63,432, with Turkish users accounting for only 0.84% of those reviews. Notice how small of a minority it is? Not even 1%, only 0.84%.
After Turkish language support was added, the number of Turkish reviews skyrocketed. Turkish player reviews increased to more than ten times of what they used to be.
In just six months, 1,374 reviews came from Turkish users out of a total of 10,848 reviews. This is nearly three times the number of reviews published during the three-year period when there was no Turkish language support. After that? The percentage remained stable by around 10% in the following months as well.
Now, based on the statistics we have at hand, we can easily estimate the revenue they earned before and after the addition of Turkish language support.
Before Turkish language support: A total of 534 reviews were submitted. This indicates that at least 534 users purchased the game. During this three-year period, the game cost ₺80. This result in 534 x 80 = ₺42,720 in gross revenue. Let’s not forget that these earnings were between October 15, 2019, and October 24, 2022, a period when the value of the Turkish Lira fluctuated significantly.
After Turkish language support was added, the total number of Turkish reviews rose to 3,084. Of these, 2,071 reviews were posted before Steam switched from Turkish Lira to US Dollar pricing, meaning the game was still priced at ₺80 without any change. This results in approximately ₺165,680 in revenue (2,071 x 80 = 165,680). The remaining 1,013 reviews were posted after the currency switch, when the game's price was $19. At an exchange rate of 42.95 TRY/USD, this corresponds to approximately ₺826,659 (1,013 x 19 x 42.95 ≈ 826,659). Combined, this equals approximately ₺992,339.
After adding Turkish language support, the game earned a total of ₺992,338.75. Of course, purchasing power, inflation, and other factors diminish the impact of such a large figure, but it remains significant compared to ₺42,720. As mentioned, due to economic variables and Lira’s volatility, a direct value comparison chart would be misleading. As much as I’d like to calculate the money value index and inflation rates, I can’t. It is widely known that official data does not always reflect the actual inflation prevailing in Türkiye’s economy. It is also important to note that the number of reviews dropped by half following the switch to US Dollars, but that is not the point of this blog post.
In just six months, 1,374 reviews came from Turkish users out of a total of 10,848 reviews. This is nearly three times the number of reviews published during the three-year period when there was no Turkish language support. After that? The percentage remained stable by around 10% in the following months as well. However, it wasn’t just the revenue they earned, but the loyalty of the Turkish user base as well. Before Turkish language support was added, most reviews were from users requesting it. And once the game finally received the update? Most of the Turkish reviews were solely about appreciating the translation and expressing their gratitude.
A Crucial Note on Estimates: It is statistically impossible to provide an exact revenue figure. Sales cycles, regional pricing, marketing efforts, and the game’s inherent quality are all significant variables. The figure above is not a guarantee, but a data-driven approximation intended to highlight the significant, and often overlooked, financial potential of the Turkish market.
The second example: Dead Island 2 VS Dying Light 2
The Dying Light and Dead Island series are known for being popular zombie survival RPGs that carry great storyline. These two titles are well-matched in terms of production costs, developer capabilities, and genre. Both games had similar opportunities, including an estimated production budget of $100M, and share similar genres and gameplay styles.
The only difference we will focus on? Dying Light offers Turkish language support, while Dead Island does not.
Once again, the comparison is based on Steam reviews. To ensure the largest possible sample size, I will analyze each game’s highest three-month period of player feedback. Before we dive into the data, a little background on both titles wouldn’t hurt. It is important to keep our readers informed about the examples we’re analyzing, right?
Now that we have a clear picture of the games we’re comparing, let’s have a look at the data.
What a devastating difference, isn’t it? It is nearly 40 times the review count from Turkish players. It truly shows how important it is to include Turkish language support in a game. I know it’s obvious who earned more from the Turkish player base but let me do the math for you to show you the comparison in earnings.
Note: Both games cost $40. I acknowledge that prices may vary during sales, but to keep the comparison fair, I will calculate them based on their default prices.
Dying Light 2 revenue from Turkish players:
Out of 1,822 reviews, 817 were posted before Steam’s currency transition. These 817 copies were purchased at ₺350 each, totaling 285,950 TRY (817 x 350 = 285,950). The remaining 1,005 reviews came after the switch to USD, when the game cost $40. This accounts for $40,200 (1,005 x $40 = $40,200). Converted at the current exchange rate, this equals ₺1,728,600 (40,200 x 43). Adding these figures together results in a total of ₺2,014,550 (285,950 + 1,728,600).
This results in a total estimated revenue of ₺2,014,550 from the Turkish player base. Once again, I need to remind you that due to the high volatility of the Lira, these figures are approximately based on standard retail prices rather than real-time exchange data.
Dead Island 2 revenue from Turkish Players:
With only 47 reviews, the math is simple: 47 x $40 = $1,880. At the current exchange rate, this totals ₺80,840 ($1,880 x 43). I think there is no need to show the big difference of revenue in a chart. This result in a total amount of ₺80,840 revenue from Turkish player base.
To wrap things up, let me include reviews from both games for the closing.
The Bottom Line
Turkish localization is a clear, data-backed strategy for growth and revenue. It unlocks a vast market of passionate players who are eager to support developers that make the effort to include them. In an increasingly competitive landscape, this investment can be the key to building a dedicated community and achieving sustainable success.
DATA GATHERING TOOLS/WAYS – Why Steam Reviews?
First of all, I would like to say that my goal was to measure the total number of Turkish players rather than just Turkish Reviews. However, after asking guidance and opinions from Asst. Prof. Dr. Muhammed BAYDERE, I’ve reached to the conclusion that total number of players can be easily manipulated or inflated through bots. For more accurate data, it would be much better to use Steam reviews, since there is no practical way to gather other data on this topic.
It is hard to gather data on Turkish Steam reviews as well. There is no pre-packaged data ready for me to take and use, I had to find, calculate and analyze the data myself. This is why I am writing this: for those who plan to use similar data patterns like me.
I’d like to introduce a tool I found on the random corner of the internet:
https://github.com/woctezuma/download-steam-reviews
This Python script allowed me to download Steam reviews and gather them into one spot. The guide is provided in the link. I used this tool to gather specific dates and language reviews, whether it was the number of reviews made on specific time periods, the total number, or the number of Turkish reviews. It has everything you can ask for.
REFERENCES
- Dead Island Review Data and Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/934700/Dead_Island_2/
- Dying Light 2 Review Data and Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/534380/Dying_Light_2_Stay_Human_Reloaded_Edition/
- Disco Elysium Review Data and Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/632470/Disco_Elysium__The_Final_Cut/
- EF English Proficiency Index by Country 2025 Map (First image): https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/ef-english-proficiency-index-by-country
- EF English Proficiency Index – Europe Regional ranking of 2025 (Second image): https://www.ef.com/wwen/epi/ Scroll down and click ‘Europe’ section.
- Information on the release date of Disco Elysium Turkish language support: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/632470/view/3398554764317335163?l=turkish
- Steam bandwidth and internet usage by country: https://store.steampowered.com/stats/content/
- The data about gathered Turkish reviews in fourth image were from a tool I included below.
- Cover images used for the comparison information image:
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6d/Dying_Light_2_cover_art.jpg/250px-Dying_Light_2_cover_art.jpg (For Dying Light 2)
- https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/08/Dead_Island_2_cover_art.jpg/250px-Dead_Island_2_cover_art.jpg (For Dead Island 2)
- Important topics/research/information that benefited this blog post:
- https://www.localizedirect.com/posts/turkish-game-localization
- https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkiye/turkish-video-game-industry-wants-750m-in-revenue-in-2025/3615812
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEpS5jW0ptg
- https://gazeteoksijen.com/turkiye/2025te-turkiyenin-ingilizce-yeterliligi-dustu-258206
AI Use
- Grammarly was used solely for grammar and spell-checking purposes.
