Unity, A Major Game Engine Behind Countless Games, Abandons Its Controversial Runtime Fee

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I’ve seen the ebb and flow of the gaming industry like the tide of a mighty ocean. The recent news about Unity scrapping its Runtime Fee and returning to its subscription model has left me both relieved and intrigued.


Unity has decided to abandon the Runtime Fee system and revert to its original seat-based subscription model, which will lead to higher costs for Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise users. This change, announced by Unity’s CEO Matthew Bromberg in a blog post, follows significant criticism from developers.

Last year, they introduced a fee called the Runtime Fee, which aimed to charge developers once their applications were installed a certain number of times. However, this policy received extensive criticism, resulting in protests and even threats from the developer community that they would leave the platform. This backlash eventually led to the resignations of John Riccitiello as CEO in 2023 and Marc Whitten as head of Unity Create in May 2024.

Under its fresh management, Bromberg aspires to rebuild trust among Unity’s user community. In his recent blog post, he expresses that during the past three months, he has managed to converse with numerous users and has consistently heard the desire for a robust Unity. He acknowledges that price hikes are vital for continued advancement in gaming, but these increases don’t necessarily have to be presented in an innovative and contentious manner.

Unity Personal will continue to be free, but the revenue and financial limit will rise from $100,000 to $200,000, offering developers more leeway before they have to pay Unity’s fees. Developers using Unity 6 can opt out of displaying the “Made with Unity” splash screen for their games, which is scheduled for release later this year.

As of January 1, 2025, the price of Unity Pro will go up by 8%, making the yearly subscription fee $2,200 per seat. The cost for Unity Enterprise will jump by 25% as well, introducing a minimum subscription requirement for clients who earn more than $25 million annually. These adjustments will affect both new and existing subscriptions from that date onward.

In simpler terms, Bromberg highlighted that the company is moving towards a more consistent cost model for its services. By eliminating the Runtime Fee and making these price adjustments, he explained in his blog post, we can continue to enhance game development for all users while also being more supportive partners.

Read More

2024-09-12 21:38