Why Cult of the Lamb could become first of many indie games to delist following Unity's monetization policy

The recent decision surrounding the use of the Unity Engine has sparked controversy, with Cult of the Lamb possibly spearheading an impending revolution. The video game community was shocked a couple of days back when a major announcement was made regarding the use of the Unity engine in video games. According to the rule, the makers of any video game using the said tool must pay an additional fee per download of their title.

This has massively enraged the video game community, and many developers have taken to social media to express their frustration. The new policy will be a major obstacle for any video game that uses this engine. However, Cult of the Lamb makers Massive Monster have staged a prominent protest and publicly threatened to take down their game entirely. This threat could manifest for several video games and developers unless there's a change.

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Cult of the Lamb could be the face of the resistance against Unity's decision

The biggest problem with Unity's recent policy is how they plan to implement this revenue stream. The revenue share percentage won't depend on how many people have bought a game. Rather, it will apply to how often a game has been downloaded.

Hence, while a developer and publisher can earn revenue from a copy only once, that won't apply to their expense. Moreover, the reported charge of $0.20 might seem minimal at first, but it can quickly add up depending on how many times a particular title has been downloaded.

Massive Monster didn't hold back after the crucial decision was announced. From Cult of the Lamb's official handle, they tweeted their intention to take down the game on January 1, 2024. This was followed by another tweet asking Unity to "stop being stinky." Even the game's publisher, Devolver Digital, supported Massive Monster.

While other developers might not have spoken out as brazenly as Massive Monster, there have been rumors about many of them being on the same boat. What exacerbates this predicament is that indie developers frequently rely on Unity. For example, recent sensations like Tunic are developed on the game engine.

Proceedings take an even worse turn for titles on subscription services like the Xbox Game Pass. That said, rumors suggest that the new policy won't be applicable to games on subscription services.

It's largely why other games and developers have joined the bandwagon along with Cult of the Lamb. Developers of Frogsong, another indie project, have vowed to refrain from using the game engine on any future project and will look for an alternative.

Innersloth Games stated that they would be forced to delay important updates if the new policy is implemented and might also have to port to other platforms. However, only some developers have the resources or the capacity to enact such decisions.

There's immense pressure on Unity to recant their decision to charge developers for downloads. The company made certain clarifications on September 14, but the vitriol hasn't subsided. If implemented, Cult of the Lamb could indeed choose to delist itself from future purchases. More video games, especially indie projects, will be forced to join the list purely to save recurring costs.