Data: 96% of studios now run a direct-to-consumer web store or plan to

Direct-to-consumer web stores are now close to standard practice for game publishers and studios. In a survey of 110 senior managers and executives, 59% said they already operate a D2C store, and among the 41% that do not, 91% plan to launch one. Of those, 67% expect to do it within the next 12 months, which points to another wave of adoption rather than a plateau.

The appeal is less about simple fee avoidance and more about control. Respondents cited brand visibility and loyalty (66%), first-party customer data and insights (58%), pricing and promotion control (54%), higher margins (52%), and direct player relationships (51%) as the main reasons to invest. For teams building live-service or mobile-heavy businesses, that means D2C is increasingly being treated as a retention and CRM channel, not just a checkout page.

Technical complexity is still the biggest obstacle, though it has eased from 67% last year to 56% this year. Other concerns include the risk of damaging relationships with Apple and Google (51%) and legal or regulatory uncertainty (47%). That uncertainty has been shrinking as Epic-related rulings and payment-policy changes open the door to external payments on iOS and Android in more markets, including Japan and Brazil.

The business case is getting stronger. FastSpring and Omdia say 95% of D2C users increased investment after the Epic vs Apple ruling, and 88% now plan to raise investment in 2026. Operators typically generate 10% to 29% of revenue through direct channels, with about a third getting 20% or more. For studios weighing the engineering cost, the...