Unity, the company behind a popular game development software, has apologized to its community for a recent controversial policy change. They had proposed a “Runtime Fee” that would charge game developers every time someone downloaded their games. Many developers were upset about this and even boycotted Unity ads and IronSource SDK in protest.
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In an open letter, Unity explained that they should have talked to their community more before announcing this policy. They want to ensure they can support developers and invest in their game engine. They made some changes based on feedback. For example, if you use Unity Personal, you won’t be charged the Runtime Fee, and they’ve increased the revenue cap for Unity Personal.
For Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise users, the Runtime Fee will start with the next LTS version of Unity in 2024. Your current games and projects won’t be affected unless you choose to upgrade them. If you are subject to the fee, you can choose between a 2.5% revenue share or an amount based on the new players engaging with your game each month, whichever is less.
Unity is also hosting a chat to answer questions and has shared more details about their pricing changes in a blog post.
In conclusion, Unity, a prominent game development software company, has issued an apology to its community following the uproar caused by its proposed “Runtime Fee” policy. This policy, which would have charged developers for each game download, faced significant backlash from developers concerned about its financial impact.
Unity’s open letter expressed regret for not consulting the community adequately before announcing the policy changes. While not a complete reversal, Unity has made adjustments to the policy based on feedback. They clarified that Unity Personal users won’t be subject to the Runtime Fee, and they’ve raised the revenue cap for this version. For Unity Pro and Enterprise users, the fee will only apply to future versions starting in 2024.
This apology and policy clarification demonstrate Unity’s commitment to addressing the concerns of its user base and finding a more balanced approach to supporting developers while ensuring the sustainability of their game engine.
