Epic Games announced that the $19 a month fee for developers would be replaced by a royalty fee system on any Unreal Engine 4-based app or game. Epic Games will now take 5% of gross revenue generated by an Unreal Engine 4-based app or game every quarter after it reaches $3,000.
Epic Games first introduced the budget-friendly $19 monthly fee for Unreal Engine 4 in 2014. Unreal Engine 4 can be used to develop games and apps for Windows 8.1 and the Xbox One, along with other platforms. Epic Games has also indicated that Unreal Engine 4 will support Windows 10. Epic explains why they’re offering Unreal Engine 4 for free:
“You can download the engine and use it for everything from game development, education, architecture, and visualization to VR, film and animation. When you ship a game or application, you pay a 5% royalty on gross revenue after the first $3,000 per product, per quarter. It’s a simple arrangement in which we succeed only when you succeed.
This is the complete technology we use at Epic when building our own games. It scales from indie projects to high-end blockbusters; it supports all the major platforms; and it includes 100% of the C++ source code. Our goal is to give you absolutely everything, so that you can do anything and be in control of your schedule and your destiny. Whatever you require to build and ship your game, you can find it in UE4, source it in the Marketplace, or build it yourself – and then share it with others.”
Any developers who signed up for the old $19 monthly fee system will receive $30 in credit that can be used in the Unreal Engine Marketplace. You can check out the video by Epic Games CEO, Tim Sweeney below or check out the full statement released by Epic Games, in the link below.
Further reading: Epic Games, Microsoft, Unreal Engine 4, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Xbox One
