Unity Suffers Huge Backlash for ‘Runtime Fee’ Based on Installs, Then Rushes to Clarify Some Points

wccftech.com:

Yesterday, Unity Technologies announced a major change in plan pricing for users of its popular engine. Starting January 1st, 2024, a so-called Runtime Fee based on installs will be required for all games with Unity that cross certain revenue and installation thresholds as outlined in the table below.

Needless to say, this news created a huge backlash throughout the games industry. Indie developer Aggro Crab Games, currently working on the underwater Soulslike Another Crab's Treasure, said it would consider switching away from the Unity engine if these fees were maintained, especially as the game would be released on Game Pass next year.

Innersloth, the independent developer behind the hugely successful game Among Us, echoed the sentiment on Twitter with the following message:

We use Unity to make our games. This would harm not only us but fellow game studios of all budgets and sizes. If this goes through, we'd delay content and features our players actually want to port our game elsewhere (as others are also considering). But many developers won't have the time or means to do the same.

Stop it. Wtf?

Speaking to Axios, Unity's President and General Manager Marc Whitten rushed to clarify a few key points. First, whenever a game is released through a game subscription service, installs made that way would have fees paid by the distributors (for example, Microsoft for Game Pass). Secondly, the Runtime Fee will only apply to the initial install on a device, preventing users from abusing the system by uninstalling and reinstalling a game over and over again. Thirdly, the Runtime Fee won't apply for game demos unless those are downloaded alongside the full game. Lastly, codes offered through charity initiatives will be exempt.