Publishers bank record direct-to-consumer revenue

This article was part of the PocketGamer.biz weekly newsletter. Sign up for more content like this and exclusive Pocket Gamer Connects discounts straight to your inbox.

With the US cracking open both the App Store and Google Play in 2025 (in moves that could potentially change, particularly if Epic has its way), how are the top publishers taking advantage?

The last time we reviewed D2C revenue share at key mobile games companies, there was a mix of growth and surprising stagnation. Playtika, while raising its D2C revenue share target from 30% to 40%, saw these sales increase just 1.3% year-over-year to $175.9 million in Q2. That quarter, 25.3% of the firm’s revenue came from D2C earnings, the lowest it had been over the previous year.

The picture has changed considerably. D2C revenue grew 20% Y/Y and 19% quarter-on-quarter to a record $209.3m in Q3. That pushed the total share of player spending on its own platform to 31%.

MTG also broke company records with 26% of revenue coming from D2C platforms. That’s its highest point for the past year and up from 19% in Q3 2024. President and CEO Maria Redin said D2C was now "an important part" of the group’s business.

Over at Stillfront, the company revealed that 44% of net revenue now comes from D2C initiatives, versus 33% in Q3 2024.

There is a warning out there though - despite all the revenue growth as publishers take back a large piece of the pie from Apple and Google - that D2C doesn’t replace real growth.

Fishing Clash maker Ten Square Games saw bookings fall by 16.9% Y/Y in Q3 to zł85m ($23.4m). The share of D2C bookings amounted to 20.3% in September 2025. Notably, TGC Store revenue was lower in each month in Q3 than Q2, though it was up on prior quarters.

TGS pinned the blame on a decline in bookings in Fishing Clash and Hunting Clash - which both saw D2C share decline - plus the growth in bookings in titles without a TGS Store offer.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said D2C should help its mobile business, which includes Zynga, expand net bookings and margins “meaningfully” in future and noted the division had "outperformed substantially” during the quarter. With that growth, the firm is investing more in user acquisition - highlighting that some of that extra revenue boost goes straight back into UA.

There’s still more to come on the regulatory front around the world that could give publishers a further D2C boost. Japan’s Fair Trade Commission previously passed the Act on Promotion of Competition for Specified Smartphone Software and it officially came into force from December 18th, 2025, enabling direct links to web shops and native D2C payments.

For now, the D2C train keeps moving.

Learn more about how to maximise your D2C strategy at Pocket Gamer Connects London 2026 on January 19th and 20th.