Xsolla Weighs in on the Epic vs. Apple Ruling and Its Impact on Game Monetization

The April 30 Epic vs. Apple ruling marked a significant turning point for the mobile gaming industry, as it prohibited Apple from discouraging links to external storefronts and collecting fees on payments made outside the App Store. According to Berkley Egenes, chief marketing and growth officer at Xsolla, this ruling is likely to have a lasting impact. 'This ruling has probably been a long time coming,' Egenes says. 'We believe it will stick in the US, and developers will be able to include direct links to their webshops from within their apps, regardless of their size or type.' The ruling is having a ripple effect globally, with the European Digital Markets Act and other regions taking notice. For Xsolla, a company that specializes in helping developers set up monetization options, this change presents a significant opportunity. Egenes notes that there is a growing interest among developers in exploring new monetization strategies, and Xsolla is seeing an uptick in requests for its services. With Apple's 15-30% commission no longer applicable in the US, developers can now build webshops that suit their products, and Xsolla's 5% transaction fee makes it an attractive option. The company has already seen success with its webshop solutions, citing the example of Marvel Snap, a popular mobile game that has implemented a webshop with exclusive rewards for players who make purchases outside the app store. Egenes expects traditional in-app purchases to remain part of the mobile gaming experience but believes that developers will get creative with how monetization links are presented to players. Xsolla sees its role as a consultant and educator, helping developers experiment with the best approach to building out their store offerings. The company takes a consultative approach, sharing best practices from its existing webshops and providing guidance on how to navigate the terms of service. The Epic vs. Apple verdict has also sparked discussions around Valve's 20-30% cut on PC games via Steam, with some developers suggesting that the cut could be lowered to permit smaller teams to succeed more easily on the platform. While Egenes believes that some evolution in how PC keys are distributed is likely, he expects Valve to make modifications rather than big changes. Ultimately, Egenes advises developers to focus on launching their games on major platforms like Steam and then adjust their monetization strategies accordingly, leveraging the discovery potential of these platforms while also exploring direct-to-consumer experiences.