Unity Backtracks on Controversial Payment Model For Game Devs After Admitting Mistake

As a long-time game developer who has weathered many storms in the ever-changing landscape of the gaming industry, I must admit that Unity‘s recent moves have caught my attention. The turmoil surrounding their terms of use last year was indeed a media storm, and it’s heartening to see the new CEO, Matt Bromberg, taking steps to rebuild trust among developers.


Last year, Unity found itself at the center of a significant media uproar due to a controversy regarding modifications in their terms of service for the engine. This scandal was among the most prominent in the industry over the past few years, and its effects are still noticeable today. The turmoil ultimately led to the departure of John Riccitiello as the company’s CEO.

Today, Matt Bromberg, our newly appointed CEO, is taking steps to restore trust among developers within the company. To address recent concerns, he has declared that the controversial Runtime Fee, a charge developers paid per game installation developed using Unity, will no longer be enforced effective immediately. Instead, the company will revert back to its original subscription model based on the number of job positions.

Starting January, my favorite game development software, Unity Pro, will be priced at $2,200 per seat – that’s an 8% increase compared to its previous pricing. However, this upgrade is mandatory only for clients whose annual revenue exceeds a staggering $200,000. Interestingly, the revenue limit for using the free Unity Personal version has been raised from $100,000 to $200,000, making it more advantageous for those who qualify. Excitingly, Unity Personal will continue to be provided for free as initially announced.

The cost for a Unity Enterprise subscription may rise up to 25%, aiming at users who have annual revenues or investments surpassing $25 million.

Bromberg emphasized that the main motivation behind this choice has long been Unity’s commitment to making game creation accessible to all, a concept they refer to as “empowering game development for everyone.

For the past two decades, we’ve collaborated with exceptional creators across various fields – designers, developers, artists, engineers, publishers, and platform providers. Our goal was to create an environment where anyone could develop fantastic games for all. This vision, which we named “empowering game development,” remains our primary focus even today.

The organization strives to be a more dependable ally and persuade developers who no longer trust them, to revert to using the Unity 6 engine once more, by presenting revised, clearer terms of engagement.

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2024-09-13 12:01