The game development engine GameMaker is now free for non-commercial use, and a one-time fee for commercial use replaces the original subscription model. The game engine launched by Scottish developer YoYoGames has been free to use since August 2021, but developers who wish to export or publish games must pay a monthly subscription fee of US$9.99 for non-host platforms and US$79.99 for the full platform.
Now, according to a new post on the software's blog, the payment model has changed so that commercial developers can use the software more cheaply, while non-commercial developers can use it completely free.
According to its FAQ page, GameMaker is now "completely free to download and save permanently for non-commercial use."
As long as developers don't plan to make a profit from it, they can export their games to PC, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and Web platforms without paying any fees.
If they decide to sell their games, they'll have to pay $99 per single commercial license instead of the previous monthly subscription fee, which will allow them to sell their games on PC, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, and the Web.
Of course, if they also want to sell the game on the console, they still have to pay a monthly subscription fee of $79.99.
GameMaker also now allows non-commercial educational games to be exported to all formats, including consoles, for free, as long as the developer sets up an education account.
“We’ve seen other platforms make awkward moves with pricing and terms,” GameMaker head Russell Kay said, apparently referring to Unity’s controversial monetization plan earlier this year.
"So we thought, what if we went against the grain and did something that actually benefited developers? Our success is measured by the number of people making games."