Unity sparked a fierce backlash from game developers on social media yesterday after announcing it would start charging developers a small fee for each download of a game built with Unity’s game engine.
nevertheless Unity has already withdrawn some Unity runtime feesThe controversial policy is still scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2024. This has many developers pondering the future of gaming, including both titles built on Unity that have already been released, and games currently in development with Unity’s game engine.
So what does this mean for you, the player? Now it’s all up in the air. Some developers are seriously considering removing their game listings from their online shops when Unity runtime pricing starts early next year. This means that some titles built with Unity may be temporarily or permanently unavailable. Here’s what developers are saying on social media about Unity runtime fees, and what games may be affected.
between us
Steam, Epic, Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft would be happy to see waves of developers pull the game.
Innersloth has always paid Unity appropriately for the licenses and services it uses. I’m not a big talker, but this is unfair and forces my hand. https://t.co/zLC9a8lBED
โ Forest (@forte_bass) September 12, 2023
Among Us developer Innersloth has been very outspoken about Unity pricing. Innersloth programmer Forest Willard confirmed to his IGN: “Pull Among Us for a while” is on the table Meanwhile, the developer thinks about:
โWe are fortunate to have the resources to replace the engine, and we see no reason to pay Unity for free while we do that,โ Willard said. “I really hope they just come back with it, but I think they’re honestly scared of how much confidence they have in whatever this operation is.”
worship of the lamb
Buy Cult of the Lamb now. It will be removed on January 1st. ๐ https://t.co/nSWg9DP0sh
โ Lamb worship ๐ ๐ (@cultofthelamb) September 12, 2023
“Buy Cult of the Lamb now because we’ll be removing it on January 1st,” says a post on the Cult of the Lamb X (formerly Twitter) account.
Developer Massive Monster followed up with a post of his own. Ask Unity to โstop the stinkโ.
Please stop the smell @unity pic.twitter.com/ijme9wQ89m
โ Massive Monster ๐๐ (@MassiveMonster) September 13, 2023
Devolver digital title
In your game pitch, be sure to include which engine you’re using.
Important information!
โ Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) September 12, 2023
Beloved publisher Devolver Digital called out Unity in its own post, writing, “Be sure to include the engine you’re using in your game pitch. This is important information!”
Devolver Digital has published games such as Hotline Miami, The Talos Principal, Loop Hero, and Fall Guys (before being acquired by Epic), and future plans include The Plucky Squire, Pepper Grinder, and more.
Citizen Sleeper 1 + 2
I’m in the process of creating a game that will be on Game Pass day one that I can’t make with any other engine, so I need Unity to do it for me. Get ready for some hostage-taking pranks.
โ Gareth Damian Martin | Jump Over the Age (@JumpOvertheAge) September 12, 2023
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector is the sequel to last year’s indie hit, and here’s what game designer Gareth Damian Martin has to say about Unity pricing: write“What Unity is proposing will actively erode the vibrancy, scope, and sustainability of indie games. Games will be less fun, there will be less risk, and studios will be less sustainable.” If anyone cares about this ecosystem, they should firmly oppose this absurd cash grab.โ
Human Fall Flat 1 + 2
we expect better @unity pic.twitter.com/dZocyeoUyL
โ No Brakes Games (@NoBrakesGames) September 13, 2023
No Brakes Games, the developer of Human Fall Flat, posted a statement about Unity’s announcement, saying, “We are unsure whether we can continue to trust Unity and continue using this game engine. I have serious doubts.”
Another crab treasure
Sigh pic.twitter.com/YgJEKGVQEI
โ Aggro Crab (@AggroCrabGames) September 12, 2023
“Who do you think will be releasing highly anticipated games on Xbox Game Pass in 2024? Yes, it’s us and many other developers,” says developer of Another Crab’s Treasure Aggro Crab writes. “That means Another Crab’s Treasure will be free to install for his 25 million Game Pass subscribers…This decision means we and countless other studios will be able to use Unity for our future titles.” Youโre going to be put in a situation that you might not be able to justify.โ
At the time of Aggro Crab’s post, Unity had not yet announced that Game Pass download costs would be passed on to Microsoft. Still, it’s unclear how platform holders will react to the additional cost, or how it will affect deals for games built with Unity going forward. IGN understands Multiple publishers and developers of unannounced Unity games are scrambling to prevent deals from falling apart following the news, with first parties concerned about absorbing increased costs.
Mega Crit’s unreleased Slay the Spire follow-up
๐ @unity pic.twitter.com/mBCfb8li3z
โ MegaCrit (@MegaCrit) September 13, 2023
Mega Crit, the studio behind the hugely popular Slay the Spire, is working on a new game. Although the studio’s unreleased projects are currently being developed using Unity, Mega Crit is currently seriously considering moving to the new engine, and the new runtime fee is “detrimental to developers in myriad ways.” โ.
โOur team has already spent a tremendous amount of time and effort developing new titles, and unless the changes are fully reverted, we will be moving to a new engine. [terms of service] Safeguards are in place,โ Mega Krit said in a statement on X.
The studio added, “We have never made a public statement before. That’s how bad you did.”
More indie developers speaking out
Individual developers who create games in Unity have become vocal about the fees as well, with some even saying, “Just put it on your wishlist, but don’t install it.”
This is my game about ghosts, Hauntii. Yes, it’s made with Unity.
This is a great engine and I’ve spent over 10 years developing this skillset, so I’m angry at their stupid decision.
Anyway, put it on your wishlist. But please never install it๐คฃhttps://t.co/CQskScp5ul pic.twitter.com/X2ja7iGIJS
โ Leoโก๐ฆ – Create Hauntii (@realZigzagLeo) September 13, 2023
Other developers are considering it more economical to postpone and port their games to a completely different engine rather than shipping them with Unity.
At this point, it may be cheaper to delay the game and fully port it to another engine than to ship it in Unity.
โ @matttwood ๐ธ (@matttwood) September 12, 2023
One indie developer also stated that the game will only ship 199,999 units to avoid getting into Unity runtime fee territory.
My game will only be released as a limited edition, with only 199,999 copies available.
Thank you Unity. pic.twitter.com/dTlWgaXfRG
โ Kevin Anderson (@AnderssonKev) September 13, 2023
Indie studio Colorgrave said: “We apologize for any potential delays in development as we try to figure out what we’re going to do,” while Landfall Games said: “We find this announcement alarming. To say that is is an understatement and we have doubts that we will continue to use the engine.”
Thank you as always โฅ๏ธ @unity pic.twitter.com/6ziC9Edweb
โ COLORGRAVE (@ColorgraveGames) September 13, 2023
Our thoughts on Unity runtime pricing pic.twitter.com/Z0zrXsiHAc
โ Landfall (@LandfallGames) September 13, 2023
Other major Unity games that may be affected
These are the most developers who have spoken out publicly on social media about this issue, but there are other games developed using Unity’s game engine that may also be affected.
Here are some notable games developed with Unity.
- Genshin
- Serious Star Rail
- Hollow Knight: Silk Song
- marvel snap
- Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl
- Pokemon GO
- fall guy
- cup head
- outer wild
- tunic
There are clearly a lot of heavyweights out there, including the money makers of Hoyoverse, mobile gaming giants like Pokรฉmon Go and Marvel Snap, and popular indies like Cuphead. These are just a few of the games developed using Unity. (Niantic declined to comment on the new fees).
One of the titles on that list that probably got a lot of attention is Hollow Knight: Silksong. Some fans are worried that there will be further delays to remake the game in an engine other than Unity. There’s no official word on how Silksong will be affected, but it’s something to think about.
We need to let the Silksong team know that we are 100% okay with a few more years of delay in porting the game from Unity.
โ Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) September 13, 2023
For more information, see the original article about the backlash to Unity’s announcement.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video games and entertainment news. He has over 7 years of experience in the gaming industry and has written bylines in IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine, and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.