adminVaultN digital game distribution is designed to help game publishers coordinate relationships with retailers and other sales channels through one system. Co-founder and COO Julian Migura explains how the platform manages product keys, partner connections and sales reporting, while aiming to make games easier to find and buy across different markets.
Image credit: VaultN
How VaultN digital game distribution connects partners
VaultN partnered with Take-Two Interactive last year and has also worked with publishers including Bethesda, Team17, Landfall and Curve. The platform’s goal is to centralise the operational side of distribution for publishers, distributors and retailers, including processes that can become difficult to manage with older payment and data systems.
Migura says the system is intended to serve organisations of different sizes, from solo developers to large businesses. VaultN is working towards more self-service features, although the platform is not yet fully self-service. Its longer-term aim is to let industry participants bring their commercial relationships together in one environment.
The company aims to add two or three partners each week. Connecting a channel can create access to multiple publishers, depending on which publishers choose to work with that channel. Migura says additional channels may increase a game’s lifetime unit sales by up to 20%; this is a potential outcome, not a guaranteed result for every title.
VaultN currently works with the Epic Games Store and GOG, but it has not integrated with Steam. Migura describes Steam as a particularly important potential partner because of its position in PC gaming. In the meantime, publishers can retrieve keys from Steam and use VaultN’s system to manage distribution to other platforms.
Key management, reporting and fees
Instead of sending spreadsheets of keys between businesses and waiting for sales updates, publishers can store key inventory securely in VaultN. Keys are encrypted and released to designated partners when a consumer transaction has been approved according to rules set by the publisher. For publishers, defining those rules clearly can help ensure keys are allocated only through authorised sales.
VaultN reports activity in real time, but it does not collect or transfer payments. Funds are handled directly between publishers and their partners. Migura says payment automation is a possible area of future development, but it remains at an early stage.
The platform charges a share of the publisher’s royalties generated through its system, rather than requiring a fixed fee. VaultN’s percentage is calculated from the publisher’s remaining share after the retailer’s share is taken. For example, if Steam receives 20%, VaultN’s fee applies to the remaining 80% and is usually between 3% and 5%, depending on the publisher’s revenue margin. This model means smaller publishers are not required to pay a set amount such as $1,000 regardless of sales.
The calendar view in VaultN. Image credit: VaultN
Improving game visibility across markets
Distribution is not only about moving products between businesses. Migura argues that publishers also need a more coordinated way to understand where players discover and purchase their games. Larger companies may have the resources to analyse activity across channels, while smaller publishers often lack the same infrastructure.
VaultN presents itself as business-to-business infrastructure that gives publishers and studios tools to connect existing platforms rather than replace them. Reaching players can require working with regional storefronts, including channels in markets such as Japan and India. Local availability matters: some customers may not have access to Steam, or their preferred payment method or currency may not be supported there.
VaultN says it supports integrations through a single API for retailers. Partners can access the network while negotiating their own commercial terms with one another. The platform acts as a technical gateway across different delivery methods, and does not require every relationship to be routed through VaultN exclusively.
A curated dashboard gives publishers information about partners, sales and performance. By comparing results across retail channels, publishers can identify which promotions are working and where further attention may be useful. Automating routine coordination can also make it more practical to work with a wider range of partners than manual processes allow.
Building a more connected distribution ecosystem
Migura’s vision is for publishers to choose which partners to connect with and to set the terms of those relationships, using shared infrastructure to reduce operational friction. The platform’s broader purpose is to help businesses cooperate across existing channels and reach players in the places where they are most comfortable discovering and purchasing games.
For publishers assessing VaultN digital game distribution, the key considerations are its current partner network, the fee structure, the distinction between sales reporting and payment collection, and the markets they want to reach. As the network and its capabilities develop, its value will depend on whether the connections and data it provides fit each publisher’s commercial needs.
Image credit: VaultN
