After a tumultuous year, Unity has decided to drop its runtime fee requirement. The company says it made the decision after “deep consultation” both internally and externally.
In a statement posted on the company’s website, CEO and President Matt Bromberg said runtime fees run counter to Unity’s overall mission of “democratizing game development.”
“But we can’t pursue that mission while being at odds with our customers. It has to be a partnership built on trust,” Bromberg said. “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 strong Unity, and I understand that raising the price is a necessary part of investing in the game’s evolution.”
He added: “We want to deliver value at a fair price in a way that is appropriate so that Unity can feel comfortable building a long-term business with us as a partner.”
In 2023, Unity announced plans to charge developers a fee for games that exceed a certain install threshold, seemingly punishing successful games. They changed the fee slightly after the initial backlash, but still maintained it in some ways. Now, 12 months later, the company says it’s all gone.
What is Unity doing instead of runtime fees?
With this latest change, Unity is “returning” its seat-based subscription model to “all gaming customers, including those who have adopted Unity 6.”
The plan and steps are as follows:
- Unity Personal License: It remains free, with a $200,000 revenue and funding limit. In Unity 6, the “Made with Unity” splash screen will be optional.
- Unity Pro: Starting January 1, 2025, subscription pricing is $2,200 per year, per site. Unity Pro is required if your annual revenue and funds exceed $200,000.
- Unity Enterprise: A 25% subscription price increase will be implemented starting January 1, 2025. Customers with annual revenue and funds exceeding $25 million will require Unity Enterprise. Unity Enterprise pricing is offered as a custom package because of the “unique needs” of customers using these plans.
“From this point forward, we plan to return to a more traditional cycle where we consider potential price increases only on an annual basis,” Bromberg said.
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