D2C in gaming: What publishers will prioritize in 2026

D2C has gone mainstream, and players have embraced it. Last year, publishers across Europe, the USA, and Asia began linking out from third-party apps to their own web stores to sell items, currency, and more. This year, off-platform payment links have become the strongest direct-to-consumer (D2C) entry point yet.

Appcharge data shows that 56% of players using payment links were entirely new to D2C¹. And when players make their first purchase on the web store, they keep coming back. Web stores now generate 97% of their revenue from repeat buyers¹. Put simply, payment links are pulling players to publisher-owned ecosystems, and once they’re there, turning them into superfans.

D2C began as a revenue story about avoiding platform fees. By 2026, the narrative has shifted to owning the player relationship as publishers gain direct access to players, gather important data, and use it to connect in more meaningful ways. So where is D2C headed next? We asked five experts working across mobile and AAA games for their thoughts. Here’s what they said.

The best publishers have stopped using web stores as ‘just’ a payment channel. Instead, they’re treating it as a LiveOps product in its own right. By regularly releasing content, rewards, events, cosmetics, and limited-time offers through their web stores, publishers are turning owned ecosystems into places players want to return to. As players spend more time there, they begin developing a long-term connection that lasts beyond a single session or purchase.

A game designer (who wishes to stay anonymous) puts it this way:

“D2C helps build mid-to-long-term relationships with players. Instead of only engaging them when they open the app, we stay connected through events, rewards, and progression that live outside the core gameplay. That long-term connection is where D2C really shows its potential, not just as a revenue channel, but as a way to sustain live games over time”.

Mariana Rojas at Avalanche Studios Group points to the social side of owned platforms:

“It has become clear that once a group of players gets together and socializes within a platform, they don’t leave. High-stickiness platforms such as Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft have captured and maintained the attention of social players, leading them to spend long play hours and often return to the game.”

Publishers don’t want to replace platforms like Google Play and Apple’s App Store; they’re building things that complement them. Those platforms are still where discovery happens. So instead of competing for attention, publishers are using platform storefronts as a first touchpoint, then guiding players toward their own D2C channels once interest is established. But it’s more nuanced than simply adding an off-platform payment link.

Grant Tasker, a brand and marketing leader in video games, puts it simply:

“There’s a growing recognition that established platforms already handle social discovery well, which makes the challenge less about replacing those spaces and more about thoughtfully complementing them.”

That’s where creators come in. According to one game designer, publishers are leaning into creator-led engagement to bridge the gap between platforms and owned channels.

“We’re investing heavily in social media growth and empowering influencers and YouTubers to run events, giveaways, and community moments. This builds visibility and trust around purchase options outside the traditional in-game in-app-purchase flow, where the platform fee applies.”

When creators explain the value of owned ecosystems, players listen. Exclusive items, better rewards, special community events. The result is a cleaner transition from platform discovery to direct engagement. Players get more value. Publishers keep more control. And the relationship feels earned.

Paid acquisition is still the default way to get new players, but it’s getting more expensive and less predictable. Now retention is the priority, and D2C is delivering results. A publisher-owned ecosystem builds a direct connection with players and unlocks first-party insights, well beyond what Google Play and Apple’s App Store typically offer. With better access to player data, surveys, and real-time feedback, publishers can see how people respond and use that data to improve gameplay and give players more reasons to stay.

Chris Schmitz at Crytek says the change has been deliberate:

“We are focusing on building D2C relationships. Here at Crytek, I pushed strongly toward owning the player relationship and not relying only on third-party platforms. First-party data and feedback are a big focus, and we’re using them by setting up structures that regularly review player data, surveys, and live feedback to inform and drive the content plan. Retention over pure growth is key now with this high acquisition cost. That’s why we’ve shifted from short-term acquisition to keeping players engaged over a longer time through regular updates and improvements.”

D2C only works if players trust it. As publishers take on more of the player relationship, they take on more responsibility. Payments, data, communication, community. Protecting players means protecting gameplay, the purchase journey, and the data behind it. It also means building a strong and consistent brand. Trust is something players need to feel every time they interact with an owned channel. When the experience is consistent, the bond between players and publisher grows.

Chris Schmitz is clear about the stakes:

“D2C only works if player trust is protected. If players don’t feel safe, the direct relationship breaks very quickly. And one of our key pillars is to deliver and create maximum player trust”.

Trust also shapes how growth happens. Grant Tasker argues that the strongest D2C strategies go beyond transactions:

“Growth doesn’t have to be purely transactional. Community and creator-led approaches tend to be more effective when they’re grounded in a strong, consistent brand, because that’s what builds trust. If players are going to engage more directly, brands need to earn that trust and continually reinforce it through seamless user experiences”.

That trust needs to be reinforced over time. It also needs to be measured differently. As Tasker notes, “they don’t always fit neatly into traditional performance metrics, so finding ways to recognise their longer-term contribution to engagement and loyalty feels increasingly important.”

Publishers are not just focused on getting players to stick around; they’re focused on getting them to spend more. Owned web stores are already showing stronger spending behaviour. Appcharge data shows repeat buyers on owned web stores have an average order value that’s 3 times higher than players who convert through app-to-web payments¹. How do they do that? By keeping players immersed in gameplay, even when they’re making a purchase.

Mariana Rojas points to in-game currencies like Robux as an example: “The Robux in-game currency has made the purchase of games and the monetization of virtual goods very straightforward”.

Frictionless systems, like in-game currency Robux, reduce context switching and keep players fully immersed in the game, helping reduce bounce rates and abandoned carts.

A game designer (who wishes to stay anonymous) says D2C tools now help to turn spending into an experience in itself:

“D2C tools like webshops allow us to go beyond simple purchases and run mini gamified events around spending. Think of Temu-style offers, but designed specifically for your own game and audience. These experiences make purchasing feel like part of the game rather than a transaction, which naturally improves conversion”.

Looking ahead, agentic AI will take this even further, particularly for automating customer purchasing flows.

When publishers start selling through their own webshop, it doesn’t just change how games make money, but also how teams work. New questions arise: Who acts on player feedback? How do teams measure success beyond installs and revenue? Answering these often means expanding roles, rethinking metrics, and at times building entirely new teams.

Chris Schmitz believes internal structure is still underestimated:

“I think internal ways of working are still underestimated. Here at Crytek, I saw that D2C only works when teams are clearly empowered. Insights must lead to real decisions and actions deep within the teams. Without clear ownership, fast decision-making, and aligned teams, even the best D2C tools have little impact. D2C becomes a real advantage only when we are set up to listen to players and act on what it learns.”

A game designer (who wishes to stay anonymous) says doing D2C properly requires skills many studios didn’t need before:

“One thing that’s not talked about enough is the real operational cost of doing D2C properly. For us, this meant onboarding entirely new areas of expertise. We had to build a dedicated social and community team that stays continuously connected with regional markets [...]. At the same time, building and maintaining D2C platforms, such as web shops, is another full-time effort. These teams need to work like a well-oiled machine alongside the core game development team. As the team expands, accountability increases, operations scale up, and new challenges naturally emerge around coordination and ownership”.

Otto Varrela, Software Developer here at Reaktor, also notes the expansion of expertise in the games industry.

“The good news is you don’t have to build all of those D2C capabilities alone. While game-specific expertise is crucial, it’s only part of the picture. At Reaktor, our teams integrate with studios' existing setup to bring in the out-of-game capabilities – web shops, account systems, loyalty, support tools – and help you run them at scale alongside your own teams.”

This year, D2C will move from side experiment to mainstream execution. Publishers will prioritize operational work, such as building trust with the community and creators, guiding players off‑platform at the right moment, using first‑party data to improve retention, and reducing friction so spending feels like part of the game.

While each of these parts plays an important role, industry leaders will focus on building a model that connects them. One that uses player identity, data, engagement, and commerce to reinforce one another within a single system. But that system will require new skills, new teams, and new ways to measure success. Those who excel will be the ones who embrace new capabilities and focus on long-term player relationships over short-term wins.

Our contributors

A special thank you to everyone who contributed to this article:

• Christopher Schmitz, COO at Crytex
• Grant Tasker, Brand and Marketing Leader in video games
• Mariana Rojas, Development Director at Avalanche Studios Group
• An anonymous game designer in mobile games

References

1. Inside $700M of Mobile Game DTC Transactions (2026 Report), Appcharge, January 15, 2026