Sektori’s solo developer can finally pay themselves a salary after Nintendo Switch 2 success
Sektori, a twin-stick shooter game similar to Geometry Wars, has achieved significant commercial success on Nintendo Switch 2, allowing its solo creator, Kimmo Lahtinen, to pay themselves a living wage for the first time. Lahtinen, who spent 13 years at Housemarque working on titles including Returnal, has been independently developing Sektori for 4.5 years with no personal salary. When the game launched on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox in January, Lahtinen revealed on Bluesky that sales had only covered development costs and overheads, leaving them with zero compensation for their nearly half-decade of work. The Nintendo Switch 2 release proved to be the commercial turning point, generating enough additional sales to finally enable the developer to draw a living wage. This story highlights the substantial financial challenges independent game developers face when bringing projects to market, particularly during extended development cycles. It also demonstrates how expanding across multiple platforms can be crucial for indie game viability. Sektori’s critical acclaim and commercial success across platforms underscores the importance of platform diversity for independent developers seeking financial sustainability in the competitive gaming industry.