Unity Reverses Course on Controversial Runtime Fee Policy, But Some Developers Already Jumped Ship

Unity's original Runtime Fee policy announcement sparked backlash from developers.
Unity backtracked, removing fees for Unity Personal and raising revenue thresholds. But fees still apply for future LTS versions starting 2024.
The policy reversal came too late for the developer of BallisticNG, who canceled their Nintendo Switch port over mistrust of Unity.
BallisticNG developer worried they'd have to update to a new Unity version subject to fees to meet Nintendo's requirements.
Some developers previously hinted they may have to pull their games from Unity due to the controversial policy.

ign.com

Relevant topic timeline:

9/12/2023

Unity's New Pricing Model Based on Installs Sparks Backlash Among Developers

Unity Technologies has faced widespread backlash from the video game developer community after announcing a new pricing model that charges a fee based on game installations, rather than a revenue sharing model, leading to concerns about financial risks, impact on subscription services, charity bundles, piracy, and other successful models for smaller developers.

9/13/2023

Unity's New Runtime Fee Sparks Backlash Among Developers Over Effects on Free Games and Trust Issues

Game developers are criticizing Unity's new pricing model, called the Unity Runtime Fee, which will charge a small fee to developers each time their game built on Unity's engine is downloaded, with concerns raised about the impact on free-to-play games, charity bundles, and smaller indie developers.

9/13/2023

Unity's Surprise Pricing Change Angers Developers, Breaks Trust

Unity's decision to charge developers per installation of their game on their game engine has caused uproar and may lead to developers switching platforms, potentially jeopardizing Unity's future.

9/18/2023

Unity Rolls Back Controversial Fee Plan After Backlash From Developers

Unity, the cross-platform game engine maker, is rolling back its plans to charge developers based on the number of installations and revenue after facing backlash from developers and receiving death threats.

9/22/2023

Unity Backtracks on Controversial New Pricing Model After Developer Backlash

Unity has reversed its controversial pricing scheme after facing backlash from users, with a new policy that is more favorable for independent developers and eliminates the runtime fee for current versions of Unity.

9/24/2023

Unity Engine Changes Lead to More Canceled Games Like BallisticNG Switch Port

Developer Neognosis has cancelled the Nintendo Switch version of BallisticNG due to Unity's controversial changes, which have prompted many developers to consider switching engines for future games.

9/25/2023

Unity Revises Monetization Plan After Backlash, Exempts Small Developers From Fees

Unity has backtracked on its proposed runtime fee and implemented a new revenue-sharing scheme following backlash from the community and negative press, with the changes set to take effect in 2024.

9/27/2023

Unity Backtracks on Controversial Fee Plan After Developer Backlash, But Questions Remain About Sustainability

Game engine developer Unity faced backlash from developers after implementing a new fee structure that would charge for each game installation, but due to the negative response, the company rolled back its plans and made several changes to retain developers, although it may have still damaged Unity's reputation and may not significantly impact its financial situation.

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Posted 9/25/2023, 2:44:06 PM

Unity Reverses Course on Controversial Runtime Fee Policy, But Some Developers Already Jumped Ship

Unity's original Runtime Fee policy announcement sparked backlash from developers.
Unity backtracked, removing fees for Unity Personal and raising revenue thresholds. But fees still apply for future LTS versions starting 2024.
The policy reversal came too late for the developer of BallisticNG, who canceled their Nintendo Switch port over mistrust of Unity.
BallisticNG developer worried they'd have to update to a new Unity version subject to fees to meet Nintendo's requirements.
Some developers previously hinted they may have to pull their games from Unity due to the controversial policy.

ign.com

Relevant topic timeline:

9/12/2023

Unity's New Pricing Model Based on Installs Sparks Backlash Among Developers

9/13/2023

Unity's New Runtime Fee Sparks Backlash Among Developers Over Effects on Free Games and Trust Issues

9/13/2023

Unity's Surprise Pricing Change Angers Developers, Breaks Trust

Unity's decision to charge developers per installation of their game on their game engine has caused uproar and may lead to developers switching platforms, potentially jeopardizing Unity's future.

9/18/2023

Unity Rolls Back Controversial Fee Plan After Backlash From Developers

9/22/2023

Unity Backtracks on Controversial New Pricing Model After Developer Backlash

9/24/2023

Unity Engine Changes Lead to More Canceled Games Like BallisticNG Switch Port

Developer Neognosis has cancelled the Nintendo Switch version of BallisticNG due to Unity's controversial changes, which have prompted many developers to consider switching engines for future games.

9/25/2023

Unity Revises Monetization Plan After Backlash, Exempts Small Developers From Fees

Unity has backtracked on its proposed runtime fee and implemented a new revenue-sharing scheme following backlash from the community and negative press, with the changes set to take effect in 2024.

9/27/2023

Unity Backtracks on Controversial Fee Plan After Developer Backlash, But Questions Remain About Sustainability