Unity, the popular game engine developer, has faced a significant backlash from its community after announcing plans to charge developers based on the number of installations and revenue. Initially, the company proposed a runtime fee that would have forced fees on any project making $200,000 in a 12-month period or having 200,000-lifetime game installs for those subscribing to cheaper engine subscription plans.
However, following widespread criticism from developers, Unity has decided to roll back its plans to some extent. The company took to Twitter to apologize for the "confusion and angst" caused by its initial announcement, stating that it would be sharing an update on its proposed runtime fee in a few days. This notice was also plastered at the top of the page where the company first announced its fee plans.
Unity's plans to charge developers based on their success did not exactly win over the hearts and minds of those who rely heavily on its software. For those subscribing to cheaper Unity Personal or Unity Plus plans, the proposed fee would have been a hefty $0.20 per game installed past the threshold. Meanwhile, larger companies paying more would have had to fork over between $0.02 and $0.125 per install. This haphazard plan was so detrimental that many developers openly called for those working in Unity to drop their subscriptions and find another engine to develop under.
The backlash against Unity's proposed fee structure has been intense, with some developers threatening to abandon the platform altogether. Slay the Spire developers Mega Crit even went as far as to say they would move to a new engine unless the changes are completely reverted and terms of service protections are put in place.
As if this wasn't enough, reports emerged that Unity's executives, including CEO John Riccitiello, had sold thousands of shares of stock in the weeks leading up to the fee announcement. This has led some to question the company's motivations behind the move.
The impact on Unity's reputation has been significant, with many developers calling into question the trustworthiness of the platform. It remains to be seen what changes Unity will make to its fee structure, but for many devs, the damage is already done.