Unity's Controversial Installation Fees Spark Mass Migration to Unreal Engine
For years, Unity and Unreal Engine have been dominant players, each with its own set of advantages and drawbacks. However, recent changes in Unity's pricing policy have sent shockwaves through the industry, leading to an unexpected shift in developers' allegiance.
Unity's controversial installation fees have triggered a mass migration to Unreal Engine, causing ripple effects that even hit the stock market and leadership within Unreal.
Unity's Unsettling Policy Change
The uproar began when Unity introduced a new pricing policy aimed at charging game developers based on the number of installations.
According to Wired, this policy, which was unveiled in early 2023, sent shockwaves throughout the development community and caused many to question their commitment to Unity. Developers and studios felt this policy undermined the core principles of Unity, which had long prided itself on accessibility and ease of use.
Unity’s stock price took a hit as the news of their pricing policy change sent ripples through the stock market. Additionally, Unity faced internal turmoil, with their CEO resigning amid the turmoil, further demonstrating the extent of the crisis.
Loss of Trust in Unity
This shift in policy severely not only crushed their stock prices and led to the downfall of their prior CEO, but also eroded trust in Unity as a dependable partner for game developers.
Game engines are critical investments for any developer/company, and Unity serves an enormous number of clients. Developers and studios felt that the abrupt policy change had left them in a lurch, prompting them to reevaluate their options.
Unity's decision to charge developers based on installations had far-reaching consequences, including a drop in trust among the community and even prompting some high-profile defections.
The Migration to Unreal Engine and Other Gaming Engines
Unreal Engine’s home page.
In the wake of Unity's fee debacle, game developers started to look for alternative solutions. Unreal Engine, Unity's long-time rival, became the prime beneficiary of Unity's missteps.
Sloane Staffing has heard first hand from game developers, many of whom had invested years of their lives into Unity-based projects, that this fallout has caused them to scramble to find alternatives, leading to a surge in interest in adopting competing platforms like Unreal Engine.
The industry, once firmly anchored by Unity, now witnessed a seismic shift as developers abandoned ship. Unity's competitors are capitalzing on this opportunity, offering open arms to disheartened developers seeking stability and fair policies.
Notable Studios Abandon Unity
One of the most significant indicators of the migration from Unity to Unreal Engine is the public departure of acclaimed studios.
Mega Crit, the studio behind Slay the Spire, publicly abandoned Unity over the fee controversy and released their latest game using Unreal Engine. This move signaled that even well-established developers were not willing to accept Unity's new pricing terms.
Mega Crit took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to announce their migration:
What’s Next: Hiring Unreal Engine & Alternative Gaming Engine Developers
At Sloane Staffing, we take pride in our expertise in connecting tech companies with the best and brightest talent in the game development industry.
Our specialization lies in hiring highly skilled developers proficient in Unreal Engine (and he-who-must-not-be-named, A.K.A. Unity), catering to the exact needs of our clients.
In light of the recent industry shift from Unity to Unreal Engine, we get the importance of finding professionals who can seamlessly implement this change. Our deep understanding of gaming developer talent extends beyond Unreal Engine, like Blender, Godot, and Autodesk 3ds Max.
