Unity Introduces Install-Based Fee, Sparks Outrage Among Devs

Developers around the world have voiced their concerns following a price increase introduced by Unity. Starting in January 2024, the company is slated to implement a new pricing plan based on the number of users installing games developed using the engine. It’s being referred to as a “Unity Runtime Fee” which triggers based on specific conditions.

These conditions revolve around thresholds based on revenue and the number of game installs. According to the pricing update, games will qualify for the Runtime Fee after two criteria have been met, These include passing a minimum revenue requirement in the last 12 months & a minimum lifetime install count. Unity Personal and Plus have a threshold of $200,000 & 200,000 lifetime installs. For Pro and Enterprise, this threshold is set to a million USD in revenue and at least 1,000,000 lifetime installs.

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Furthermore, the update states that qualifying customers may also be eligible for credits toward the Unity Runtime Fee based on the adoption of certain services. This implies a potential reduction in the fee but consumers would have to contact their account managers for more information.

Our core point with this is simply to make sure that we have the right value exchange so that we can continue to invest in our fundamental mission to make sure that we can deliver the best tools for people to make great games.”

Unity introduced these for a few reasons, including the upkeep of its runtime services and increasing profit margins to reinvest in the engine. Unity Create president Marc Whitten spoke in detail with Game Developer regarding the company’s direction and its decision to charge an install-based fee. He stated, “We want to make more money so that we can continue to invest in the engine.”

Following the backlash from creators around the world, including many indie devs, Unity rushed to clarify its new policy that is set to be implemented in 2024. According to game journalist Stephen Totilo, the company has stated that only the initial installation of the game will trigger a fee. Additionally, game demos will not have this effect, preventing any sort of payment.