Unity, the well-known platform for game development, has unveiled new monetization rules set to kick in at the beginning of 2024. The announcement has stirred concerns among game developers, including high-profile studios that rely on Unity for their projects.
Among those expressing dismay is Massive Monster, the studio behind Cult of the Lamb. They are considering removing the game entirely, citing that the new Unity policies will have a “significant impact” on future projects. “At Massive Monster, our mission has been to support and promote new and emerging indie games. The introduction of these fees by Unity could pose significant challenges for aspiring developers,” says a representative from Massive Monster.
The new rules stipulate that developers using Unity’s free tier must pay a 20-cent fee for each new game installation, but only after reaching 200,000 downloads and $200,000 in revenue. Meanwhile, those subscribed to Unity Pro will be subject to a reduced fee and only after hitting higher milestones in revenue and downloads.
This update is consequential for the industry, given that Unity is the backbone for many popular titles, including Cities Skylines, Rust, and Genshin Impact. Massive Monster even urges players to buy Cult of the Lamb now, before it gets deleted on January 1 in response to these changes.
Other game studios are also expressing doubts about their future with Unity. Landfall Games, developer of Clustertruck and Knightfall, and Stray Fawn, creator of Wandering Village, are openly questioning their continued use of Unity’s services.
Innersloth, the company behind the viral game Among Us, has issued a warning as well: “Stop it,” they say. “This would harm not only us but fellow game studios of all budgets and sizes.”
Unity, for its part, has offered some clarity on the matter. The company says developers will only be charged for a player’s first installation, meaning repeated installs by the same user will not incur additional fees.
As the gaming community awaits further updates, the looming changes are prompting serious questions about the industry’s financial landscape and how it will affect both large and small game development studios alike.