DMM Games, a prominent digital distribution platform and publisher of PC and mobile games under EXNOA, is set to introduce its own app store for iOS devices. The announcement was made during a media briefing, with coverage from Famitsu.
DMM Games currently boasts over 40 million users and hosts popular titles such as Kantai Collection and Touken Ranbu Online. It is also recognized as the domestic publisher of Too Kyo Games and Neilo’s full-priced game Shuten Order. As part of its ongoing platform and publishing expansion, DMM Games has revealed plans to launch a custom store app for iOS devices, slated for release sometime in June or later.
This move is a direct response to recent adjustments in Apple’s guidelines, influenced by Japan’s new “Mobile Software Competition Act” (MSCA). Enacted in 2024, the law took full effect starting December 18, 2025, with the goal of fostering fair competition in the market and curbing the dominance of major tech firms like Apple and Google. Among its provisions, the law mandates that companies open their operating systems to third-party app stores, enabling initiatives such as DMM Games’s (though Apple has since introduced some tricky countermeasures).
Apple and Google’s app stores are well-known among mobile game developers for their high handling fees, which can reach up to 30% commission. DMM Games is likely aiming to bypass this issue by establishing its own store. Furthermore, this will enable them to distribute apps that may not be available on Apple’s App Store. According to Famitsu, the company has indicated that it “may offer a variety of services, including R-rated versions of games.”
DMM Games has faced challenges with app stores regarding content such as characters in revealing attire (excluding nudity or sexual content). Last year, Apple unexpectedly instructed them to replace nearly all character art and animations in their live-service RPG Twinkle Star Knights, despite the game having been approved and running smoothly for years. This issue led to the game being blocked from updates, undoubtedly affecting the publisher. With their own app, the likelihood of such complications may be reduced. As for fully adult-rated games, this remains under consideration for now.