DTC evolving fast after App Store ruling as web shops alone leave “a lot of untapped potential on the table”

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In the wake of the landmark US court ruling against Apple forcing changes to the App Store’s rules, publishers can now freely link to alternative payment systems and thereby dodge Apple’s 30% in-app purchase fee.

The ruling has not only meant a seismic return for Epic Games’ Fortnite on iOS, but also has significant implications for publishers utilising the direct-to-consumer model. And, by extension, the ruling serves to benefit companies providing DTC platforms like Appcharge.

“It’s the breakthrough the industry has been waiting for,” says Appcharge chief marketing officer Gil Tov-Ly.

“It’s a game changer, opening up new paths for innovation, better monetisation strategies and stronger direct relationships between publishers and their players.”

We speak following the US ruling, which he calls “an earthquake” with enormous implications for DTC.

Tov-Ly plans to deep-dive into some of these paths and the latest DTC tools at PGC Barcelona next week, which is expected to welcome more than 1,000 games industry professionals over June 3rd and 4th, 2025.

“Fundamentally reshaping the market”

Epic Games has been the star of many headlines since the verdict, seeing its battle royale return to iOS after nearly five years.

CEO Tim Sweeney revealed that the company spent more than $100 million in legal fees in its battle against Apple. Now that it’s won, Fortnite has topped the US App Store’s downloads chart every day since its return.

But Tov-Ly notes that the court ruling is even bigger than that.

“While the Epic case itself was pivotal, this ruling extends far beyond one dispute, fundamentally reshaping the market and empowering studios to take greater control over their revenue,” he states.

“Developers now have solid backing to direct their users toward alternative payment solutions, significantly reducing Apple’s control over the mobile payments landscape.”

He suggests that the “next generation” of DTC is already taking shape and that trends were already establishing before the court ruling. But even so, this verdict has “significantly accelerated the shift”.

This shift includes the presence of banners and popups in-game linking to web shops, sideloading, web checkouts as an alternative to traditional in-app purchases, and more.

But despite these changes, there are still many casual gamers who won’t be familiar with the store fees hitting publishers or Apple’s cut of in-app purchases, who may be more naturally inclined to carry on spending in-game as they always have.

Tov-Ly suggests that developers don’t need to educate these players on app store economics – they simply need to use straightforward messaging about the compelling value elsewhere. This should “make the choice easy and intuitive” for players.

“Casual players respond positively when they see real benefits like lower prices, better offers (more currency for the same dollar amount) or exclusive content through alternative payment channels,” he explains.

“Studios succeeding at DTC right now use straightforward messaging and seamless integration to make the choice easy and intuitive for players.”

More than a web shop

Tov-Ly also believes DTC can go far beyond just web shops. While they were revolutionary just a year or two ago – providing developers with more control over revenue and player relationships – Tov-Ly suggests that they’re now becoming a baseline rather than something “cutting edge”.

“Web stores are still a wonderful DTC tool with very high value ceilings, but with all the recent developments, solely relying on a web store leaves a lot of untapped potential on the table, and it isn’t enough to stay competitive,” he states.

“Alongside adopting a web store, players are showing willingness to explore more integrated experiences where purchasing is frictionless and embedded naturally into gameplay, community engagement and live interactions. And with how simple and quick it is now to explore some of these new tools, I believe studios should always be testing.”

Embedded payments are the new hot trend, according to Tov-Ly, with technology which enables deep-linked transactions, contextual checkouts and personalised purchase “journeys” within gameplay setting the standard. He expects this shift to mean high conversions, intuitive purchasing and a significant improvement to player satisfaction.

A landmark change

Appcharge reacted quickly to the US court ruling with its Payment Links iOS integration going live the very next day. Since then, the company has been sharing advice online about the implications of the verdict and the opportunities it creates in the games industry.

“We strongly believe this window of opportunity which is now open should be acted upon swiftly – and we’re seeing studios moving with purpose,” says Tov-Ly.

He also claims that Appcharge has seen a “large influx of new clients” since the ruling, looking to make the most of the landmark change.

Among Appcharge’s advice, the company shared certain “Dos and Don’ts” like how to convince players to navigate to a web shop and how to avoid putting them off.

And, of course, Tov-Ly is also set to attend PGC Barcelona. We ask him what he intends to talk about at the industry event.

“Well, come attend the upcoming talk to find out! But jokes aside, the hot trend in DTC is embedded payments,” he says. “The future belongs to frictionless, in-context commerce.

“I’ll share all the latest DTC tools to accompany your web store strategy, with some examples as to studios already using them. I’ll also share the Dos and Don’ts on how to master embedded payments based on our team’s monetisation expertise.”