Collective Protests Unity’s Runtime Fee
Previously, we reported on a group of game developers who came together to express their strong opposition to Unity’s planned introduction of the Unity Runtime Fee. This collective not only created a joint agreement but also penned an open letter to Unity, detailing their concerns. The Unity Runtime Fee, set to take effect on January 1, 2024, has caused significant upset among the signees.
As part of their protest, the signees have made the decision to remove Unity Ads and ironSource fueled advertising from their games. By doing so, they are effectively cutting off a source of revenue for Unity until the Runtime Fee is “immediately canceled.”
The initial list of signees included prominent names in the industry such as Azur Games, Voodoo, Homa, Century Games, SayGames, and CrazyLabs. Since then, the campaign has gained momentum and attracted support from an impressive 929 sign-ups at the time of writing.
In addition to the big names, new additions to the cause include MagicTavern, TapTap, and Belka Games.
David(s) versus Goliath
With the collective agreement in place, all signees have made a pledge. They have committed to turning off all ironSource and Unity Ads monetization across their projects until Unity reconsiders the planned changes. Furthermore, they urge others to take the same stand, emphasizing that the stakes are high and the Runtime Fee is an unacceptable shift in their partnership with Unity.
While the list of supportive companies is extensive and cannot be provided here, you can visit their website to read their full letter, view the complete list of signees, and join the protest.
Updates on the Collective’s Progress
UPDATE September 20. It appears that the Collective’s page has been taken down (most recent reported total of sign-ups being 553) and the link above now instead leads directly through to alternative development system Godot’s homepage…
UPDATE September 21. The page is back. And displaying 922 sign-ups.
More news as it happens.