Terraria developer Re-Logic condemns Unity, donates $100k to both Godot and FNA

20.09.2023 - 11:51 / gamedeveloper.com

Terraria developer Re-Logic has responded to Unity's install-fee debacle by condemning the move and donating $100,000 to both Godot and FNA.

Although the studio doesn't actually use Unity outside of a few elements on console and mobile, it said the company's decision to implement a RunTime Fee that will charge developers who cross certain thresholds on a per-install basis has resulted in the "destruction of trust."

Re-Logic said a public statement wouldn't be a sufficient response to the "underhanded" move. As a result, it has donated $100,000 to Godot and FNA and pledged to support both open-source engines with monthly donations of $1,000 moving forward.

"The loss of a formerly-leading and user-friendly game engine to the darker forces that negatively impact so much of the gaming industry has left us dismayed to put it mildly," wrote the Re-Logic team. "We unequivocally condemn and reject the recent TOS/fee changes proposed by Unity and the underhanded way they were rolled out."

"The flippant manner with which years of trust cultivated by Unity were cast aside for yet another way to squeeze publishers, studios, and gamers is the saddest part. That this move was wholly unnecessary pushes things into the tragedy category–a cautionary tale the industry will not soon forget."

The Terraria developer noted that even if Unity does eventually reverse course, the company will still face an uphill battle to regain the trust of developers who feel betrayed. With that in mind, the studio said it's important to rally behind some of the other up-and-coming open-source engines to spark a glimmer of hope in an "otherwise dark moment."

"Re-Logic has always been supportive of game developers and indie studios that do things the right way," it added. "We feel that our actions in this moment are the best way to carry that mission forward–by accelerating and strengthening competing open-source game engines, we hope to empower and assist studios that are struggling with how best to proceed given these recent events."

After announcing the Runtime Fee last week, invoking the fury of notable developers like Among Us maker Innersloth and Rust creator Garry Newman, Unity attempted to clarify and amend the policy before eventually pledging to make more "changes" in the coming days.

Shortly after Unity announced more tweaks were inbound, Bloomberg reported the company was exploring the idea of placing a 4 percent cap on potential fees and allowing developers to self-report installs as opposed to using its own proprietary tools to collect that data.

Many developers, however, feel the only acceptable solution is for Unity to commit to a full reversal.