We examine the details behind the controversy surrounding Unity, the most popular graphics engine in the independent scene.
Hollow Knight, Cult of the Lamb, Blasphemous, and Cuphead have something in common: their game engine. For years, Unity has powered hundreds of independent projects, but now its current CEO wants to change the business model that gave it its position in the market.
The most controversial aspect of Unity, however, is that developers working with Unity pay a fee for each installation of their game. For example, if a user installs The Cult of the Lamb, its developers will have to pay a certain amount to Unity. Games on Unity’s free plan that exceed 200,000 downloads and $200,000 in revenue will have to pay 20 cents per install. This will start in 2024.