Sektori’s Switch 2 Launch Finally Lets Its Solo Dev Pay Himself
Sektori is having the kind of indie success story that makes you want to clap a bit, bro.
After launching on Nintendo Switch 2 last week, the twin-stick arcade shooter has finally sold well enough for solo developer Kimmo Lahtinen to pay himself a proper living salary. According to Lahtinen, total sales are now around 30,000 units, with the Switch 2 version getting a strong response from players.
That matters because Sektori was not some quick side project. Lahtinen, a former Housemarque developer with 13 years at the studio behind games like Returnal and Saros, previously shared that the game’s earlier launch on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox had only covered indirect costs and overheads. In other words: the project was no longer bleeding money, but he still had not paid himself a salary for 4.5 years.
That is the part many players do not always see. A game can be critically loved, look polished, feel premium, and still not make enough money to support the person who made it. For SEA players who follow indie games mostly through Steam sales, Game Pass, PS Store promos or eShop charts, Sektori is a reminder that every purchase can directly decide whether small creators get to keep making games.
For those who have not checked it out, Sektori is very much in the Geometry Wars lane: you control a small ship inside compact arenas, dodge waves of bright enemy shapes, and fire back while the whole screen becomes this neon chaos machine. The vibe is arcade, fast, colourful and very score-chase friendly.
But the interesting part is that it apparently does not just stop at being a nostalgia hit. Sektori also builds in its own upgrade ideas, boss fights and different modes, while the soundtrack pushes everything forward with electro house and techno energy. Basically, it sounds like the kind of game that works extremely well for short sessions — which makes the Switch 2 launch timing pretty smart.
For Malaysian and SEA gamers, this is also where the Switch 2 angle becomes important. Portable arcade games have always made sense in our region: quick runs between classes, while commuting, during cafe hangouts, or just before tidur when you promise yourself “one more run” and suddenly it is 2am. If Switch 2 adoption grows fast here, smaller games like Sektori could benefit from being part of that early library before the store gets too crowded.
It is also a good sign for the new console’s indie ecosystem. Big first-party titles sell hardware, sure, but games like Sektori make a platform feel alive between major releases. If early Switch 2 players are already willing to buy sharp, premium-feeling indie games, that is healthy for developers — and better for players who want more than just the usual blockbuster cycle.
Sektori launched on Switch 2 on 14 May, following its earlier release on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The key takeaway: a well-liked indie game has finally crossed from “covered costs” into “the creator can actually live from this.” That is a win worth noticing.
Source: Eurogamer
