Unity’s Updated Runtime Fee Policy Pleased Game Devs

Unity's runtime policy has now been defanged.

The game engine developer recently apologized for its controversial runtime fee policy and has updated it to a point where game developers are happy with it.

Unity's runtime fee policy required game developers to pay a certain amount for every installation for every Unity-based game they made.

Unity's Redemption

Unity has rescinded some points in its new (but controversial) runtime fee policy. According to the open letter published by Unity President Marc Whitten, the company made some changes in its new policy.

Although the policy is still up and running, the changes it made to its pricing policy are now less demanding than it was when Unity first announced it. For instance, the company's Unity Personal plan will remain free, and Unity won't require game developers who subscribed to it to pay any runtime fee for games built on it.

Additionally, Unity Personal Plan subscribers wouldn't need to use the "Made with Unity" splash screen, and the company is increasing its $100,000 cap to $200,000. Games built on Unity Personal with less than $1 million in trailing 12-month revenue won't be subject to the runtime fee.

Meanwhile, game developers building games on Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise will only be required to pay runtime fees at the beginning of Unity's next LTS version in 2024 and beyond. Additionally, games built in Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise that are currently shipped and those currently in development won't be included.

Simply put, Unity won't require game developers to pay for the Unity-based games they already developed retroactively.

Moreover, Unity is giving game developers whose games are subject to the runtime fee a choice. They could pay either a 2.5% revenue share or the calculated amount based on the number of new people engaging with their games each month, whichever is lesser.

To better clarify how the runtime fee policy and its changes work, Whitten invited game developers to a live Q&A at 1 PM PDT on Sept. 23.

Game Devs' Rejoice

The changes Unity made to its runtime fee policy are a thorn removed from game developers' sides, especially for those using Unity's game engine to create their games. A Games Radar report mentioned that many game developers reacted positively to Unity's changes, though some are still worried about the future.

For instance, Gregorios Kythreotis, creative director at Sable studio Shedworks, said that while Unity is still asking game developers to pay fees based on "ridiculous and unfeasible terms," the changes it made are an improvement and a "welcome clarification."

Strange Scaffold head Xalavier Nelson expressed relief over Unity's changes, saying that game developers now have a chance to finish their "most ambitious, polished projects yet."

However, The End is Nigh and The Basement Collection's Tyler Glaiel stated that switching to Unity's competitors, especially Epic's Unreal Engine, is the most viable option. He explained that Unity's and Epic's game engines now have similar costs, and with Unity's new fees, justifying "why not just use Unreal instead" is getting more difficult.