Re-Logic, the creative force behind Terraria, has made a significant move in response to the controversy swirling around Unity’s proposed Runtime Fee policy. This policy aimed to charge developers for each installation of their games, creating widespread unease in the gaming industry.
Despite not being a user of the Unity engine themselves “outside of a few elements on console/mobile platforms,” Re-Logic has taken proactive steps in response to the Unity Runtime Fee policy controversy. They’ve donated a whopping $100,000, each to two open-source game engines, Godot and FNA. This financial support isn’t a one-off gesture as Re-Logic has committed to sponsoring these engines with $1,000 every month.
Re-Logic made their stance clear in an official statement posted on their Terraria account on X (formerly known as Twitter).
— Terraria🌳 (@Terraria_Logic) September 19, 2023
Re-Logic firmly holds the view that even if Unity were to backtrack on its policies and statements, the damage to trust cannot be swiftly rectified. Re-Logic believes it’s crucial to stand by emerging open-source game engines. Re-Logic’s only request to Godot and FNA is that they continue being good-hearted individuals and keep doing what they can towards enhancing these engines, making them more robust and user-friendly for developers worldwide.
Re-Logic’s motto has always been to support game developers and indie studios that do things ethically. They hope that by bolstering competing open-source game engines, they can empower and aid studios grappling with recent industry events.
The Godot engine team has already expressed their gratitude to Re-Logic by retweeting their tweet with a quote saying, “The Godot team would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Re-Logic, not just for the immense support Godot is receiving, but for your investment in our common cause.”
The Godot team would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Re-Logic, not just for the immense support Godot is receiving, but for your investment in our common cause 💙 https://t.co/hTo7hJn9ja
— Godot Engine (@godotengine) September 19, 2023
Ethan Lee, the developer behind the FNA engine, also extended his heartfelt thanks to Re-Logic for their generous contribution.
I've never received anything like this before in my career – I'm still not sure what to say even now.
Many MANY thanks to @Terraria_Logic for their contribution! We plan to share with everyone what the FNA team plans to do with this incredible donation soon! https://t.co/TPfPZKQT58
— Ethan Lee (@flibitijibibo) September 19, 2023
Unity has issued an apology for the upheaval its policy caused, promising forthcoming changes. However, Re-Logic’s decisive support for alternative game engines highlights the lasting impact such controversies can have on trust within the gaming community. Following Unity’s policy announcement, numerous developers are now considering the possibility of transitioning to alternative game engines.
