Unity Revises Controversial Runtime Fee Policy After Community Backlash
Unity Technologies, the company behind the widely used Unity game engine, is making significant changes to its recently announced Runtime Fee policy. Marc Whitten, who leads Unity Create, issued an open letter to the community expressing regret for not adequately consulting users before introducing the new fee structure.
The initial Runtime Fee policy met with strong disapproval, prompting Unity to reassess its approach. Whitten stated, "You are what makes Unity great, and we know we need to listen, and work hard to earn your trust."
Key adjustments to the policy include:
- Unity Personal plan remains free of charge, and the revenue cap has been increased from 100,000 USD to 200,000 USD.
- Games generating less than 1 million USD in trailing 12-month revenue will not be subject to the fee.
- The Made with Unity splash screen requirement will be removed.
For Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise users, the updated policy will only be effective from the next LTS (Long Term Support) version of Unity, which ships in 2024. Ongoing projects will be exempt unless developers choose to upgrade to the new Unity version. Developers will also have the flexibility to stick to the terms of the Unity editor version they are currently using.
Regarding the payment mechanism for the Runtime Fee, Unity is offering a choice between a 2.5% revenue share or a calculated amount based on monthly user engagement. Whitten confirmed that developers would be billed the lesser amount, based on self-reported data.
To discuss these changes and address questions, Unity is hosting a live fireside chat with Whitten today at 4:00 pm ET/1:00 pm PT.
The changes underscore Unity’s commitment to recalibrating its business model in a manner that aligns more closely with the needs and concerns of its user community.
Source: Unity