In a move that sent shockwaves through the gaming community, Unity, the renowned game engine company, announced a policy change that’s about as welcome as a White Walker at a summer barbecue. Some developers, like that of Cult of the Lamb, are taking a stand against what is a likely illegal and definitely dishonorable move.
Starting January 1, 2024, Unity plans to roll out a new ‘Unity Runtime Fee’ based on game installations. This fee will kick in once Unity-based games surpass certain revenue and installation thresholds, and is retroactive. The announcement has sent ripples of discontent across the developer community, with many voicing their concerns and frustrations.
The crux of the issue lies in the fee’s structure. For games crafted using Unity’s free tier, developers will be charged $0.20 for every game installation after their titles exceed 200,000 downloads and rake in more than $200,000 in revenue. Those utilizing the Unity Pro tier will face a reduced fee, and the thresholds for triggering these charges are considerably higher.
The ripple effects of Unity’s announcement have been felt far and wide. Several high-profile developers have expressed their apprehensions about the new policy, with many pondering their future association with Unity.
Numerous publishers and developers of yet-to-be-announced Unity games are also in a frenzy, trying to salvage their deals in light of this news. The primary concern echoed by many is the potential unsustainability of game development under this new fee structure, especially when considering installations through subscription services like Xbox Game Pass.
Among the most vocal is the developer behind the acclaimed action-roguelite Cult of the Lamb. Due to the unpopular policy, Massive Monster has announced plans to delete the game from sale on January 1. In its most recent tweet, the developer states, “Buy Cult of the Lamb now, cause we’re deleting it on Jan 1st.”
The developer further elaborates that Unity’s policy would necessitate a significant shift to a different game engine for its upcoming projects. In a similar vein, independent game developers, such as the teams behind titles like Among Us and Slay the Spire (InnerSloth and Mega Crit, respectively), have issued strong warnings about their potential departure from the Unity game engine ecosystem.
InnerSloth has openly declared its intention to postpone upcoming content releases in order to facilitate a transition to alternative game engines. Meanwhile, Mega Crit, in an unprecedented public statement, has firmly asserted that despite dedicating two years to the development of a new Unity-based game, it is prepared to migrate to a different engine should Unity stay the course.
Unity has attempted to douse the flames by clarifying – or muddying – certain aspects of the policy. It insists that the fee will only be levied on a game’s initial installation. Furthermore, installations via subscription services will not burden developers, as platform holders are expected to bear those costs.
However, this clarification does little to quell the rising tide of fury and exasperation. In fact, Unity had to call off a town hall meeting that was scheduled to take place yesterday after the company received credible death threats.
If we have to point fingers at any one particular person, we need not look further than Unity’s CEO, John Riccitiello. The American executive previously served as the president of Electronic Arts. He has gained a bad rep for pushing microtransactions, and is known in the industry for leading EA during the time it “won” various awards for being the worst video game company.
Unfortunately for him, most gamers remember him as the man who said, “When you are six hours into playing Battlefield and you run out of ammo in your clip, and we ask you for a dollar to reload, you’re really not very price sensitive at that point in time.” Oh, and he also dumped Unity stock a day before the announcement, just to round out this rotten picture.
Unity has often been a beacon for many developers, but this recent policy shift has cast a shadow of doubt on the company’s future. Only time will tell how this plays out, but it’s evident that developers are unwilling to accept this new course of action without a fight.
Cult of the Lamb is available for macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam.
