Microsoft will launch its own mobile games store in July, the company announced during the Bloomberg Tech Summit THURSDAY.
Xbox President Sarah Bond said the company plans to bring its first-party portfolio, which includes titles like Candy Crush and Minecraft, to the mobile store at launch. Microsoft then plans to open the mobile store to other publishers.
“We'll start with the web,” Bond said. “And we're doing this because it really allows us to have an accessible experience on all devices, in all countries, no matter what, regardless of closed ecosystem store policies, and then we're going to expand from there .”
By launching the store on the web, as opposed to an app, Microsoft would present an alternative to Apple and Google, which charge 30% fees on sales.
The official announcement comes as Microsoft has been talking about launching an Xbox mobile games store for some time now. Last December, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said the company was in discussion with partners about the launch of an Xbox mobile store, and noted that it would arrive sooner rather than later.
Microsoft first hinted at a mobile store in 2022 when it announced a deal to acquire Activision Blizzard. Microsoft had said in toppings that one of the main reasons it wanted to acquire Activision Blizzard was to help it grow its presence in mobile games. In October 2022, Microsoft's filings with the CMA revealed that he planned to create a new “Xbox mobile platform” that includes mobile games from Activision and King.
As the EU's Digital Marketing Act (DMA) forces Apple and Google to open up their mobile app stores, Microsoft is looking to provide an alternative to both in the US and beyond the EU.