Unity Abolishes Runtime Fee for Personal Users and Introduces Revenue Sharing for Others

Unity has announced significant changes to its contentious Runtime Fee policy, which initially proposed charging developers a fee per installation. In a blog post, Unity Create president Marc Whitten outlined the updates, starting with the elimination of the Runtime Fee for games developed using a Unity Personal license. The company has also modified the terms for Unity Personal accounts, increasing the revenue threshold from $100,000 to $200,000 and removing the requirement for developers to display the Made With Unity splash screen on their work. For Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise developers, the company is offering an alternative to the Runtime Fee: a 2.5% revenue share based on self-reported revenues or a calculated amount based on the number of new users engaging with the game each month. Unity has stated that it will charge the lesser amount if the revenue share exceeds the Runtime Fee. Furthermore, the Runtime Fee will no longer be retroactive, applying only to developers who use versions of Unity released in 2024 or later. Whitten apologized for the initial rollout, acknowledging that the company should have engaged with more developers and incorporated feedback before announcing the policy. The goal of the revised policy is to ensure Unity can continue supporting developers while investing in its game engine. In a subsequent interview, Whitten emphasized that the Runtime Fee was introduced to create a sustainable business model for Unity, with the aim of establishing a fair value exchange with successful developers.