Corey McNamara
Unity announces changes to its controversial Runtime Fee policy for creators using the engine
Unity, the popular game engine, has announced changes to its Runtime Fee policy in response to recent backlash from the development community. The company has clarified new fees and adjustments to its pricing structure, aiming to address concerns that these changes could put some developers out of business.
Unity Create head Marc Whitten issued an apology in a public statement posted on the official Unity blog. He acknowledged that Unity should have engaged more with developers and incorporated their feedback before implementing the new Runtime Fee policy.
Under the revised terms, developers using Unity Personal will no longer be required to pay a Runtime Fee. Additionally, the revenue and funding limits for Unity Personal have been raised from $100,000 to $200,000. Furthermore, developers using Unity Personal will no longer be obliged to display the “Made With Unity” splash screen on their titles. The exemption of fees will apply unless a game using Unity Personal earns over $1 million in trailing 12-month revenue. This change is expected to be a relief for smaller developers who recently protested against Unity by disabling Unity Ads in their games.
Users of Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise will also experience adjustments to the Runtime Fee policy. The revised policy will only be applicable to projects created with the next Long Term Support (LTS) version of Unity, which is scheduled to be released in 2024. Games that have already been released or are still in development will not be required to pay the new Runtime Fee unless they upgrade to a newer version of the engine.
In addition, Unity has abandoned the proposed changes that would have charged developers for each game installation. Instead, developers will now self-report their user numbers and can choose between paying a 2.5% revenue share to Unity or a fee based on the number of new players engaging with their game monthly. This provides developers with more flexibility and a range of options to suit their individual circumstances.
These changes, although not expected to completely resolve the controversy, represent a significant improvement from the earlier Runtime Fee policy. Unity aims to continue supporting creators who use their engine to develop games, and these adjustments align with that goal.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings