For years, mobile video game revenue models operated on a simple equation: build a great video game, acquire players through the major app stores and accept the platform economics that come with reaching them. That model is now changing.

Across the global mobile video game market, regulation, competition policy and evolving platform strategies are steadily opening new possibilities around payments, distribution and player relationships.

The result isn’t simply pressure on Apple and Google to lower their fees. It’s a fundamental shift in how studios should think about revenue ownership.

In the European Union, the Digital Markets Act has forced Apple to rework its terms more than once. As of October 1st, 2026, all EU developers operate under a single set of business terms.

The per-install Core Technology Fee is gone, replaced by a 5% Core Technology Commission on sales through alternative app stores, web distribution and external purchase links.

Apple's own in-app purchase now carries a 26% commission (15% for small businesses and for subscriptions after year one). Alternative in-app payments carry 20% (10%). Purchases made through an external link within seven days carry a 15% (10%) store fee on top of the 5% commission.

For video game studios, however, the headline percentage is only part of the story.

The bigger question is what happens when studios have greater control over how players discover, purchase and engage with their video games.

Alternative payment methods can reduce transaction costs, but they also introduce operational complexity. Tax, fraud, chargebacks, compliance, currencies and local payment preferences all become considerations for the studio.

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