The GameMaker, a game development platform owned by Opera, announced on Friday (23) that its new runtime, the GMRT, will be free for commercial use starting January 1, 2027. The change will allow creating and selling games for computers, mobile devices, web and GX Games without needing to buy a Professional license.
Currently, commercializing games developed with GameMaker requires a paid license. With the new policy, that obligation will no longer exist for projects that use the GMRT on the covered platforms, reducing publishing costs for independent developers and small studios.
The company also confirmed that the GMRT source code will be accessible at all license levels. Developers will be able to examine the technology, adapt it to the needs of their projects and potentially contribute to its development.
The change, however, does not apply automatically to the previous runtime, GMS2. Those who already have the Professional license will continue to be able to commercially distribute games produced in that version and will also have access to its source code.
Consoles will continue to require an Enterprise license
The free commercial use of the GMRT does not include exports to consoles. To publish games on platforms such as PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, developers will still need an Enterprise license and approval from the respective manufacturers, regardless of the runtime used.
GameMaker also reported that the prices of existing licenses will remain unchanged. Therefore, the announcement changes the conditions for commercial use of the new runtime, but does not represent a general reduction in the prices charged by the platform.
Russell Kay, the person responsible for GameMaker, said that the initiative seeks to expand accessibility and flexibility for creators while the GMRT continues its expansion in beta phase.
The company reported that it will make more details available about access conditions, code repositories and contribution guidelines on its official website.
