Unity is canceling Controversial runtime Fee and a more traditional subscription model for popular video game engines used by small and large developers around the world. However, prices for some subscription plans will increase next year.
A year ago, in September 2023, Unity announced a massive change to the way it charges developers for using its engine. Once a game has been downloaded a certain number of times and has earned a certain amount of revenue, Unity will start charging developers a runtime fee every time someone installs a game they’ve developed using Unity. Pokemon GO or Cuphead. Many smaller developers and publishers have criticized this decision, claiming that it will force developers to abandon their engines in order to avoid paying thousands of dollars in install fees. This could delay games, and there have also been concerns that some developers will remove older games from sale, preventing players from reinstalling them to avoid runtime fees.
It was all a huge mess Eventually it led to ~ Unity partially reversed some of these decisions a week later.. Also because of this Unity CEO Retires and Another executive resigns. And now, after that All of thatThe company does not charge any installation fees.
On Thursday, Blog post on the Unity websiteCEO Matthew Bromberg announced that the company is “immediately” removing all runtime charges from the engine.
“I’ve had the opportunity to interact with many of you over the last three months, and I’ve heard time and time again that you want a stronger Unity, and I understand that a price increase is a necessary part of investing in the evolution of the game, but that increase doesn’t have to come in a new, controversial form,” Bromberg said.
Unity Announces Price Increases for Some Plans
So there will be no runtime fees, and Unity will return to a subscription model. Bromberg confirmed that Unity Personal licenses will remain free until a game has earned $200,000 in revenue or funds. Meanwhile, starting in January 2025, Unity Pro subscriptions will increase by 8% to $2,200 per year. Unity Enterprise will also see a 25% price increase.
Unity Personal remains free, and the revenue and funding caps have increased from $100,000 to $200,000, giving developers more flexibility before being charged the Unity fee. For games developed with Unity 6, which is scheduled to be released later this year, the Made with Unity splash screen is optional.
Beginning January 1, 2025, Unity Pro will increase in price by 8% to $2,200 per seat per year. Unity Enterprise will increase by 25%, with new minimum subscription requirements for customers with annual revenues exceeding $25 million. These changes will apply to all new and existing subscriptions from that date onward. (These licenses include Enterprise, so pricing may vary by package.)
Bromberg stressed in his blog post that Unity will continue to raise prices as needed, but only annually, on a subscription basis, and will not try to squeeze pennies out of every developer using the engine based on how many times people install their games.
“By removing the runtime fee for games and enacting these pricing changes, we can continue to invest in improving game development for everyone and become better partners,” Bromberg said.
“Thank you for your trust and continued support. We look forward to many more years of creating great games together.”
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