Unity ends controversial pay-per-engine model and launches Unity 6

Unity has introduced a new version of the Unity 6 game engine in an attempt to restore the trust of developers after the cancellation of the controversial payment model for installing games, The Verge reports. In addition to new features to improve the mobile experience, Unity has promised long-term investment in functionality and ease of updates.

Image source: Unity

Unity, one of the most popular game development platforms, announced a new payment plan in September 2023 that would charge developers for every installation of their games after reaching a certain threshold. This caused a wave of indignation among developers, since the new approach significantly increased their costs.

After widespread criticism, Unity made changes to the payment model, softening the conditions, but this did not help to avoid serious consequences. Soon after, the company’s CEO, John Riccitiello, had to announce his resignation. His place was taken by Matthew Bromberg, who previously worked at the online game development company Zynga and EA Games.

In September, Unity finally abandoned plans to introduce fees for installing games. “With Unity 6, we’re looking to reconnect with our customers, show that we’re focused on what’s important to them, and that the company has changed significantly in that regard,” Bromberg told CNBC.

Interestingly, Unity has a serious competitor in the form of Epic Games with their advanced Unreal Engine. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney recently outlined the company’s plans for the coming years, including the development of the next version of Unreal Engine 6, further increasing the pressure on Unity to compete for developer attention.