Far more than just a headline, the Apple App Store ruling marks a true breakthrough moment. It opens the door for app developers to rethink monetization, reclaim the user relationship, and rebuild a flywheel that drives real, lasting growth.

Amin Bakht, Head of UA at Phoenix Games, sees the ruling as a catalyst for developers to rethink strategy. With newfound financial flexibility, they can invest in smarter marketing and build direct customer relationships.

Bid adieu to restraints: For Bakht, the ruling's most immediate impact is a boost to user acquisition power. "This is improving the overall net LTV of a user," he explains. Since performance marketing hinges on bidding, a higher lifetime value means sharper, more competitive bids. "This is going to provide gaming a little bit more of a competitive edge versus the rest of the apps," he adds—developers with stronger margins can simply outbid the rest.

Rebate debate: Developers now have room to pass real value back to users and shape behavior, not just margins. "This is not only good for the developers, but it's also great for the users as well," Bakht says.

Epic Games is already testing this, offering a 20% rebate on V-Bucks bought via its web shop—making direct purchases the cheaper option. While some worry that Apple Pay's convenience is hard to beat, Bakht thinks the value play is stronger. "This already shows that developers will be able to influence the user's behavior by clearly providing them more value through a web purchase," he explains.