Almost all games studios run a direct-to-consumer (D2C) web store or plan to, according to a new survey.
The Annual State of D2C Game Monetisation Survey, published by FastSpring and Omdia, found that 59% of game publishers and studios already operate a D2C store.
Of the 41% that don’t, 91% plan to launch one, with 67% intending to do so within 12 months.
FastSpring and Omdia collected data from 110 senior management and exec-level respondents between April and June 2026.
The survey found D2C adoption increased modestly from 57% last year to 59% this year. However, a bigger change occurred among non-adopters: last year, 60% planned to start a D2C store within 12 months, rising to 67% this year.
The top reasons for using a D2C platform are to improve brand visibility and loyalty (66%) and to gain better access to first-party customer data and insights (58%).
Other key motivations include greater control over pricing and promotions (54%), higher profit margins (52%), and building direct relationships with players (51%).
The main barrier to launching a D2C store is technical complexity (56%), down from 67% last year. Other concerns include “damaging relationships” with Apple and Google (51%) and legal or regulatory uncertainty (47%).
Recent regulatory changes, including the Epic vs Apple and Epic vs Google cases in the EU and US, have enabled external payment options on iOS and Android. These changes also affect markets such as Japan and Brazil.
82% of respondents said these changes made them “more confident in the future value of D2C,” while 96% found “at least some confidence in their understanding of the shifting legal landscape.”
Last year, 95% of D2C users increased their investment after the Epic vs Apple ruling. After Google’s decision to reduce Play Store fees this year, 88% of respondents plan to increase investment in 2026, with 42% intending to do so significantly, up from 33% last year.
“These legal outcomes are directly prompting swift action among cautious developers,” said FastSpring. “Now 93% of non-adopters say recent court decisions have made them more likely to adopt a D2C web store; only 6.7% said the rulings changed nothing.”
Publishers and studios operating D2C platforms generate between 10% and 29% of their total revenue through these channels, with about one-third deriving 20% or more.
“75% of D2C operators say their share of revenue from direct channels increased over the last 12 months, with only a small minority reporting any decline.”
84% of respondents are “hitting or exceeding their 2025 D2C target,” with 66% exceeding it. As a result, 65% have set higher D2C targets for 2026 than last year.
“Last year, 49% of non-adopters said they didn’t believe D2C would drive significant revenue. This year, that doubt has fallen to 38%.”
FastSpring notes that studios and publishers are choosing D2C to “own the player relationship and the data that comes with it,” shifting the platform “from a cost-cutting tactic into a growth and ownership strategy.”
“Studios and publishers that steer players strategically – growing the share of revenue running through direct channels while intentionally managing platform fees – can lift overall profitability rather than simply avoid a cut.”