From App Stores to Ownership, Xsolla at Gaming’s D2C Turning Point

Was 2025 the year the games industry finally stopped talking about direct-to-consumer and started treating it as the standard way of doing business?

In this episode of Tech Talks Daily I’m joined by Chris HewisChairman at Xsollafor a wide-ranging conversation about how regulation, platform pressure, and changing player expectations have pushed D2C from the margins to the mainstream. As court rulings, the Digital Markets Act, and high-profile battles like Epic vs. Apple continue to reshape the industry, developers are gaining more influence, but also more responsibility, over how they distribute, monetize, and support their games.

Chris explains why D2C is no longer just about avoiding app store fees. It’s about owning relationships with players, controlling data, and building sustainable businesses in a more consolidated market. We explore how tools like

We also investigate what is changing within live service games. From supply walls that monetize the vast majority of players who never spend, to LiveOps tools that simplify campaigns and retention strategies, Chris shares real examples of how studios are seeing meaningful increases in revenue and engagement. The conversation goes beyond technology and into mindset, especially for indie and mid-market teams who are learning that treating a game as a long-term business needs to start much earlier than launch day.

Here in 2026, we’re talking about account-centric economies, hybrid parallel monetization models, and the growing role of community-driven commerce, inspired by platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. There’s optimism in these shifts, but also understandable fear as studios adjust to managing more of the stack themselves. Chris offers an informed perspective on how that balance will likely play out.

So as games become hobbies, platforms open up, and developers finally have the tools to meet players wherever they are, what does the next phase of direct-to-consumer really look like, and are studios ready to fully own that relationship?

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