Rokky distribution predictions for 2026

It pays to be prepared, and as we are now nearly a month into the new year, we at Rokky would like to share our distribution predictions for 2026. Globally, we are seeing big shifts in the status quo with alternative distribution channels for games becoming more used, gaming markets in the East becoming more open and Valve, the biggest player in PC distribution, being central in all of it.

Read on to hear our predictions for PC game distribution for 2026.

While Steam is going nowhere and will remain the undisputed leader in the PC gaming distribution space, we predict that publishers' distribution mixes will begin to get more diverse this year. The e-store ecosystem is continuing to grow thanks to increasing regulation, stricter requirements for key sourcing, and growing consumer trust in Steam’s alternatives driving more game developers to launch their games on these platforms. Direct-to-consumer (D2C) models such as publisher-owned stores (such as Epic Game Store), subscription ecosystems, and proprietary launchers are also strengthening the position of e-store ecosystems.

For most publishers, the standard distribution stack of 2026 will see them focus on Steam, while also increasing their presence on e-stores, and D2C marketplaces, allowing them to reach new audiences and secure more revenue.

This transition is not exclusive to PC gaming either, as there has been a push for more marketplaces in the mobile gaming scene, beyond the App Store and Google Play Store. We expect to see a similar diversification in distribution mixes on the mobile platform as well.

If you could only keep your eyes on one region of the world this 2026, make it Asia. Markets like China, South Korea, India and Southeast Asia are the areas that we at Rokky foresee the most growth in 2026, both in terms of audience and revenue. This is all thanks to a combination of lower user acquisition costs and ongoing rapid audience growth, as gaming gets integrated more and more into daily-use applications, like WeChat. Compared to the Western markets, where competition for player attention and revenue has plateaued, Asia offers much more growth potential.

We’ve also noticed that Steam’s footprint in non-Western regions has been expanding. The fact that Valve has returned to developing its own hardware will only accelerate that expansion. Options like the Steam Machine allow Valve to compete for audiences traditionally aligned with Nintendo and PlayStation in markets with strong console cultures. So as the Asian gaming market grows, so does the western gaming footprint within those regions, making it a prime opportunity for growth for western publishers.

We’re seeing the AI boom drive up the price of PC components, specifically DDR5 RAM and GPUs which is ultimately hurting consumers’ wallets. It is making traditional gaming PCs more expensive and turning players towards more affordable options like consoles and mobile. With Valve launching its new PC-console hybrid this year, the Steam Machine, Valve has a major opportunity to compete within that market and keep players within the PC ecosystem.

Considering that PC games are typically cheaper than console titles, if Valve can use the Steam Machine to bring new customers, and attract those from the console market, then we may see a surge in interest in PC gaming. That’s obviously good news for Valve, but will also benefit the wider PC ecosystem, from developers and publishers to alternative stores, as many of those players may stay within the ecosystem when PC prices go down.

However, for the Steam Machine and other Valve-approved hardware to truly influence the market, they need to be priced significantly below comparable PC configurations. That differentiator will incentivise users who may need coaxing away from the mature infrastructure and established content libraries of their current platforms, especially in the Asian markets. If Valve fails to achieve those low hardware pricepoints, Steam growth in 2026 will likely be limited to the West.