TL;DR

Yodo1’s webshop revenue share for Transformers: Earth Wars rose from 25% to 57% (2.28×) in the first eight months of 2025. This growth was driven by:

• Extending LiveOps to the webshop, turning weekly events into opportunities for DTC monetization.

• Using in-game pop-ups (iOS, U.S.) to promote the webshop during key moments.

• Running a first-time purchase promotion that converted non-spenders with a frictionless free-gift flow.

The result: higher DTC revenue, more repeat buyers, and a stronger player habit around direct purchasing.

Overview

In August 2025, Yodo1’s Transformers: Earth Wars achieved two key milestones that demonstrate how studios can build sustainable DTC momentum:  

• The share of player spend flowing through Yodo1’s webshop rose from 25% to 57% since January (2.28× growth), as more players chose to purchase outside traditional app stores. 

• 1.8× growth in first-time webshop purchases from a first-time purchase promotion that converted non-spenders.

Since partnering with Neon, Yodo1 has turned Transformers: Earth Wars’ direct channel into a long-term growth engine, not only improving margins but also shifting player behavior from buying in-app out of habit to buying directly by choice. 

Ingredients of growth  

1. Extending LiveOps beyond the game 

Webshops perform best when they act as a natural extension of a game’s LiveOps strategy, offering more value and exclusivity tied to in-game events. For Transformers: Earth Wars, Yodo1 made the webshop an active part of their content strategy. Every Friday before major in-game events, they refreshed offers with themed bundles that complemented event mechanics, allowing players to stock up in advance and making webshop visits part of their weekly ritual. 

This strategy extended event engagement beyond the game itself, turning LiveOps into a bridge between gameplay and direct commerce. 

2. Consistent In-Game Promotion 

The Epic v. Apple ruling on April 30, 2025 opened the door in the U.S. for direct linking from an iOS in-app game experience to a webshop. Shortly after, Yodo1 began embedding consistent in-game prompts that directed players to the webshop to drive awareness and traffic.

These reminders paired with predictable LiveOps refreshes caused players to expect something new from the webshop every week, establishing a habit loop that sustained long-term webshop traffic and sales. 

3. First-time purchase promotion

While traffic grew, Yodo1 also prioritized converting new buyers with a first-time purchase promotion that targeted players who’d never made a webshop purchase. The promotion flow was simple, but effective:

1. A free gift was promoted to players who had never purchased at the webshop.

   1. In the U.S. on iOS, the free gift was advertised via an in-game pop-up.

   2. Elsewhere, it was communicated across out-of-app channels like Discord. 

2. After claiming the free gift, players would see a CTA to enter their email address to receive a promo code for a 50% off one item during their first webshop purchase.

3. Upon entering and submitting their email, the promo code would be displayed on screen and automatically applied to the player’s shopping cart, which persists until they complete their first purchase.

Upon launch, the promotion drove immediate growth resulting in 1.8× growth in daily average first-time purchases, and to date 80% of all first-time purchases are attributed to this promotion.

Once players experienced the speed and ease of the checkout flow, many went on to make additional purchases without incentives, demonstrating how small UX wins can create long-term value.

[Place holder for image of flow: shop → free claim → promo code → applied to cart]

Results

Within eight months Transformers: Earth Wars more than doubled its share of player spend through direct channels. App store purchases dropped proportionally as more players chose the webshop for value and exclusivity. These results highlight how event extension, clear in-game linking, and first-time conversion incentives can drive both short-term lift and lasting behavior change.

Growth through partnership

Yodo1’s growth is a partnership built on transparency and shared goals. Neon empowers studios and developers to own their direct channels through clear guidance, data visibility, and flexible tools that align with how they operate.

Neon helps studios turn direct-to-consumer into a trusted, long-term revenue engine. Interested in learning more? Reach out via the form below.