Unity Cancels Controversial Runtime Fee for Game Developers, Announces New Pricing Model for 2025

In a major move, Unity has officially canceled its controversial Runtime Fee, a decision that comes after deep consultation with the gaming community, customers, and partners. The Runtime Fee, which faced significant backlash from developers, is no longer applicable to Unity’s gaming customers, effective immediately. However, non-gaming industry customers remain unaffected by this update.

For over 20 years, Unity has been a key player in the world of game development, partnering with designers, developers, and publishers to democratize game creation. Their mission to make game development accessible to all remains at the core of their operations. Yet, the introduction of the Runtime Fee earlier this year caused a rift between Unity and its community, leading to widespread criticism.

Unity's Commitment to Developers

In response, Unity has chosen to revert to its seat-based subscription model, a familiar and more widely accepted pricing structure. This change aims to restore trust and ensure a fair pricing system for developers, especially as Unity gears up to launch Unity 6, the most advanced version of the platform to date.

Here’s what developers can expect moving forward:

• Unity Personal: Unity Personal will continue to be free, with the revenue ceiling now doubled to $200,000 USD, allowing more developers to utilize the platform at no cost. Additionally, the "Made with Unity" splash screen will become optional for games developed using Unity 6, set to launch later this year.

• Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise: New subscription pricing and revenue thresholds will take effect starting January 1, 2025. Unity Pro will see an 8% increase, raising the price to $2,200 USD per seat annually. Unity Pro will be required for customers with total annual revenue exceeding $200,000 USD.

For larger companies, Unity Enterprise will experience a 25% subscription price hike. This plan will apply to those with annual revenue exceeding $25 million USD, with additional minimum subscription requirements. Custom packages will be offered to these enterprise customers, ensuring their unique needs are met.

Future Plans and Commitments

Unity has committed to a more traditional annual review of price increases, aiming to maintain a stable partnership with the gaming community. Notably, developers using specific versions of Unity will be allowed to continue under their original terms if any significant changes to the software’s licensing occur.

This decision to cancel the Runtime Fee and implement these changes is seen as a step toward healing the relationship between Unity and its gaming customers. Unity remains dedicated to improving game development tools and services, and this new pricing model is expected to support the platform’s continued growth and innovation.