Unity has informed shareholders that its controversial Runtime Fee, introduced in September, will only provide minimal benefit in the next fiscal year. The fee, which sparked backlash from developers, will not have a major impact on Unity's business until at least 2025. The company plans to restructure its business and expects layoffs, as well as discontinuation of some products.
Unity has revised its controversial runtime fee after facing severe backlash from the community. The new revenue-sharing scheme, set to begin in 2024, incorporates feedback from developers and exempts Unity Personal Plan users. Pro and Enterprise developers will face a 2.5% revenue-sharing expense only if their studio made over $1 million in the previous 12 months. Unity's effort to correct course is generally appreciated, but better communication and transparency could have avoided the dispute.
Unity, the cross-platform game engine, has reversed its controversial runtime fee policy after facing widespread backlash from the gaming community. The new pricing policy, which was announced last week, drew criticism for its increased costs and perceived disconnect from the community. Under the revised terms, there will be no runtime fee for games developed with the current version of Unity, and the revenue ceiling for upgrading to the next tier has been raised to $200,000. Unity's attempt to implement the fee has damaged trust within the community, and developers may now consider alternative platforms.
Unity has issued an apology and announced significant changes to its controversial Runtime Fee policy after facing backlash from the game development community. The updated policy eliminates the fee for games built on Unity Personal and allows developers on that plan to earn up to $200,000 in revenue without being subject to the fee. For developers on the Pro and Enterprise plans, the fee will only apply starting with the next LTS version of Unity in 2024. The fee can be either a 2.5 percent revenue share or a calculated fee based on new user engagement. Unity's missteps have damaged its reputation and led to increased interest in open-source game engines like Godot. Restoring developer trust will be crucial for Unity's future success.
Unity has responded to the backlash over its proposed 'runtime fee' policy, apologizing for the confusion caused and acknowledging the strong feedback from developers and the gaming community. The company has stated that it is actively listening to the feedback and is committed to making changes to the policy. However, concerns have been raised about the wording of Unity's statement, and developers are waiting to see what specific changes will be implemented. The rapid response from Unity highlights the importance of open dialogue between game engine providers and their user base.
Indie game developers, LizardFactory, claim that Unity referred to organizations like Planned Parenthood and C.S. Mott Children's Hospital as "not valid charities" and "political groups." Unity's proposed runtime fee, which would charge developers up to $0.20 per install, would cost LizardFactory around 30% of the funds they had already sent to charity. Unity clarified that the fee would not apply to charity games, but reportedly stated that LizardFactory's partners were not valid charities. The developers are considering switching to the open-source game engine Godot in response to the controversy. Unity has since apologized and promised to share changes to the policy in the coming days.
