Less than two weeks after announcing that it would be giving out $5 million to help fund developers who use its game engine, Epic Games has announced that Unreal Engine 4 will now be completely free to use with no subscription or licensing fees involved.

“The past year has been a whirlwind for everyone at Epic Games,” Epic co-founder Tim Sweeney wrote in a blog post. “The state of Unreal is strong, and we’ve realized that as we take away barriers, more people are able to fulfill their creative visions and shape the future of the medium we love. That’s why we’re taking away the last barrier to entry, and going free.”

Epic has developed its own games using the Unreal Engine, including the Unreal series, Gears of War, and Infinity Blade. Many games from other developers have also used Epic’s game engine, including the hugely successful Bioshock franchise. The multi-platform engine works on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, iOS, and HTML 5.

“No time of greater opportunity for developers”

Sweeney points out that the video game industry is in a state of flux at the moment, with both great challenges and great opportunities. Sweeney wrote, “This news comes during an unprecedented time in our industry, amidst revolutions in virtual reality and augmented reality, and in the presence of the largest community of indie developers that has ever existed, all facing a crowded market and seeking the opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

“Yet in Epic’s 25 years as an independent company, we have seen no time of greater opportunity for developers than today.”

Developers who had already been subscribed to the Unreal Engine service will receive a pro-rated refund for their most recent payment, and anyone who has ever paid for the subscription in the past will receive a $30 credit.

While the use of the Unreal Engine will be free for developers, the completed games and apps will need to pay a 5 percent royalty to Epic Games. The lack of an up front cost will make Unreal Engine attractive to independent game makers, and it also gives Epic the incentive to support the developers using its engine. The more successful the game are, the more successful Epic will be.

Screenshot via UnrealEngine.com (c)