GameMaker abandons subscription model for independent developers

Starting today, GameMaker will be free to use for non-commercial, non-console projects, and the company is eliminating its monthly subscription fees at the indie/creator level in favor of a one-time licensing fee of $99. Additionally, if you are currently registered at the Indie/Creator tier and wish to pay the licensing fee, the subscription fee you paid will be reduced by the price. See the FAQ page for more details.

Russell Kay, head of GameMaker, said the changes were the company’s way of expressing thanks to users, explaining that, since 2021, GameMaker has seen its user base triple. Kay also had a subtle but effective nuance to GameMaker’s competitors.

“We saw other platforms take tricky steps when it came to pricing and terms, so we thought: what if we did the opposite, something that might actually be good for developers?” Kay wrote in the ad.

Although customers currently signed up for an enterprise-level subscription won’t see any changes to their plans, it appears GameMaker is counting on the pricing update to attract more people to the software.

“Our success is measured by the number of people creating games! » Kay wrote.