Developers with more voice
Before WWDC 2026, featured offers on the App Store in the games category were exclusively an Apple editorial prerogative. With the new nomination system, developers can independently propose their own in-app offers — discounts, bundles, special content — for potential exposure in featured store sections. MacSources and Engadget cite the update among keynote App Store announcements, alongside the expansion of general In-App Purchase capabilities.
The IAP expansion also touches supported purchase types and presentation modes within product pages, though Apple did not detail all new categories during the keynote. Full technical details are expected in developer sessions running this week.
The regulatory pressure context
It is hard not to read these updates in the context of regulatory pressure Apple faces in Europe and the United States over App Store openness. Giving developers more visibility tools — even just through nominations — reduces the perception that Apple is the sole arbiter of app discovery. This is not a structural change to commissions or distribution rules, but signals a willingness to soften at least the editorial curation aspect.