Epic Games, the developer behind Fortnite, has revealed its updated payment scheme for the use of its Unreal Engine.
Unlike the previous royalty-based system primarily tailored for game developers, non-game developers will now face an annual subscription fee of $1,850 per user, termed as “per seat”. These alterations were initially announced last year and will take effect alongside the release of Unreal Engine version 5.4 in late April.
Game developers will remain under the existing 5 percent royalty structure, applicable to products surpassing $1 million in lifetime gross revenue.
Conversely, the new subscription model will target non-game developers, encompassing those utilizing Unreal Engine for various purposes such as crafting linear content like films and TV shows, integrating infotainment systems within automobiles, or creating immersive experiences like theme park attractions.
Notably, certain non-game developers will be exempt from this pricing adjustment. Companies generating less than $1 million in annual gross revenue, alongside students, educators, and hobbyists, will not be subject to this subscription fee.
Additionally, entities producing plug-ins for Unreal Engine will continue to access it for free, with Epic retaining its share through the revenue-sharing mechanism within the Unreal Engine Marketplace.
The $1,850 annual fee encompasses access not only to Unreal Engine but also to Epic’s Twinmotion real-time visualization tool and RealityCapture photogrammetry software.
These additional tools are being bundled ahead of their direct integration into Unreal Engine by 2025’s end, although they can also be obtained separately at $445 annually for Twinmotion and $1,250 for RealityCapture.
Epic’s decision to introduce this pricing model follows closely on the heels of Unity’s announcement, and subsequent retraction, of a controversial pay-per-download pricing structure.
Similar to Unity’s reverted model, Epic’s revised approach will exclusively apply to games developed with Unreal Engine 5.4. For developers utilizing versions preceding 5.4, the pricing adjustments will not come into effect until they upgrade.
