In a significant move for mobile gaming monetization, game publisher Yodo1 has successfully transformed the revenue model for Transformers: Earth Wars through a strategic partnership. By integrating with direct-to-consumer (DTC) payment platform Neon, Yodo1 has dramatically increased player spending through its own webshop, creating a new, sustainable growth engine for the popular title.
A Strategic Shift in Player Spending
The core challenge for Yodo1 was clear: redirect player purchases away from traditional in-app transactions within Apple and Google's app stores and towards the company's own direct webshop. The incentive was powerful. In-app purchases typically incur platform fees of around 30%, severely cutting into developer revenue. In contrast, DTC payments through a provider like Neon carry fees of only 0–5%.
The results of the partnership, announced in late December 2025, were striking. From January to August 2025, the share of player spend flowing through Yodo1's alternative payments webshop for Transformers: Earth Wars surged from 25% to 57%. This represents a 2.2 times increase in webshop revenue share, demonstrating a major shift in player behavior.
Beyond Margins: Building Direct Relationships
The benefits of this DTC strategy extend far beyond improved profit margins. By moving purchases to their own platform, Yodo1 gains a direct relationship with its players. This allows the studio to collect email addresses, run targeted promotions, build loyalty programs, and gain superior insights into player lifetime value (LTV). Furthermore, it grants pricing freedom not possible within restrictive app store ecosystems, enabling flexible discounts, regional pricing, and instant promotional updates.
Another key achievement was a 1.8 times growth in first-time webshop purchases, driven by a targeted promotion that successfully converted players who had never spent money before. This indicates the strategy not only shifted existing spenders but also effectively activated new paying users.
The Four-Pillar Strategy for Success
Yodo1 and Neon focused on four core areas to drive this change. The most critical was integrating the webshop directly into the game's live operations (LiveOps) strategy. Instead of being a separate storefront, the webshop became a natural extension of in-game events.
For example, every Friday before major in-game events in Transformers: Earth Wars, Yodo1 would refresh the webshop with themed bundles that complemented the upcoming event mechanics. This tactic encouraged players to visit the webshop as part of their weekly gaming ritual, stocking up in advance and creating a seamless bridge between gameplay and direct commerce.
This approach required clear communication of the webshop's value to players and the strategic integration of incentives without disrupting the core gameplay experience. The goal was to make buying directly a conscious choice for players, moving them away from the habitual in-app purchase button.
The success story highlights a growing trend in the mobile gaming industry. As studios seek to reduce dependency on app store policies, mitigate platform fee impacts, and build stronger community ties, DTC payment solutions and alternative webshops are becoming essential tools for sustainable, long-term monetization and reduced business risk.
