In the mobile gaming industry, the Direct to Consumer (D2C) model is fast becoming a key revenue model. D2C refers to a direct sales method where mobile games bypass app store platforms and utilize web stores to process payments directly.

On the 25th, Appcharge released a report estimating the mobile game D2C market at roughly 17 billion dollars (approx. 26 trillion won). The findings are based on a survey of over 1,200 game developers conducted by Appcharge and the GDC Festival of Gaming between January and February 2026. The key takeaway is that D2C, which currently captures about 15% of the in-app purchase market, has significant potential to expand across the entire app economy.

While the D2C method was initially introduced to avoid the 30% commission fees imposed by app stores, it has now evolved beyond simple cost-cutting into a structural business advantage. This is because developers can directly own and analyze the actual payment data of players, which was previously dependent on platforms. Survey participants listed their primary motivations for D2C investment as: revenue growth (63%), building direct relationships with players (53%), improving monetization (45%), and reducing reliance on app stores (40%).

Furthermore, 92% of respondents expect their D2C revenue to hold steady or grow this year; 41% anticipate growth of 20% or less, while 18% project growth of 30% or more. Amidst this paradigm shift in the D2C market, organizational capability gaps that determine success or failure have emerged as a challenge to overcome. Additionally, 77% of respondents reported that D2C monetization performs as well as or better than app store channels, with 63% of leading firms claiming to have already surpassed traditional channels.

Meanwhile, the report projects the mobile game in-app purchase market to reach 121.1 billion dollars (approx. 187 trillion won) by the end of 2026. The total consumer app in-app purchase market is also expected to grow from 190 billion dollars (approx. 293 trillion won) in 2025 to 290 billion dollars (approx. 447 trillion won) by 2030.

Maor Sason, CEO and co-founder of Appcharge, stated, "The core issue isn't just the commission, it’s that publishers can directly own their relationship with the player," adding, "In a few years, D2C won't just be an alternative; it will be the default operating model for the most successful games."