Key reseller G2A agrees to pay devs auction royalties and introduce anti-fraud measures

PC code marketplace G2A is to make changes to the way developers are compensated for sales on its website.

The key reseller was blasted by Punch Club creator TinyBuild after the studio claimed it had lost almost half a million dollars in revenue due to fraudulent codes being offered by third-party sellers on G2A.

CEO Alex Nichiporchik said sites such as G2A “facilitate a fraud-fueled economy”.

He was later backed by Lex Decrauw, founder of Action Henk outlet RageSquid, who told players that piracy was less damaging to developers than key reselling sites such as G2A,

Now it seems that G2A has taken some of the criticism on board, as it announced that it would allow developers to add an optional royalty of up to 10 per cent to the cost of their games when sold through its auction marketplace, providing creators with some compensation for transactions that previously may have handed them nothing.

In addition, the site said it would make available new tools to help devs track potentially fraudulent keys on its marketplace, measuring the volume and timing of sales to identify illegitimate buyers.

G2A said it will also add a funding button to the bottom of each product page, providing users with a way to donate directly to game makers.

The new services will be trialled over the next two weeks, with a full launch set for July 29th.

"As a leader in the digital gaming marketplace, we recognise our responsibility to serve the greater good for the entire gaming industry," a spokesperson for G2A told Eurogamer.

"Recent events have demonstrated that we need to move faster to introduce new benefits designed with developers in mind, and invite them to play an even bigger role in creating the marketplace of the future."