Unity’s CEO receives a credible death threat days after announcing their new controversial business model, while more studios continue to call them out. Read on to find out more details about the closure and the statements made by the other studios.
Unity Under Scrutiny and Potential Danger
Unity Receives Death Threats
Unity canceled a town hall meeting and closed two of their offices due to a credible death threat that was issued to the company. The death threat was a direct response to their controversial business model that was introduced September 12 regarding new installation fees set to take effect on January 1, 2024.
Unity’s CEO, John Riccitiello, decided to close two potential targeted offices located in Austin, Texas and in San Francisco for the rest of the week. He was supposed to address the recent backlash in an internal meeting with the staff but had to cancel the meeting to ensure the safety of the employees.
There have been reports claiming that the death threat came from an employee within the company, but no official announcements have been made about the claim just yet.
More Outcry Towards Unity’s Model
Studios React and Commit to Leaving Unity Behind
The public outrage flares on as more and more studios who have used Unity are frustrated with the new changes. Red Hook Studios, the creators of Darkest Dungeon, tweeted and called out Unity’s poor planning and communication, asking them to recall their blunder.
Galvanic Games, creators of Some Distant Memory, have also tweeted that their new release, Wizard With a Gun, will be their last game using Unity, regardless of if they decide to pull back from their payment plans. The reasons for their decision is based on Unity’s unclear criteria of what counts as an install and their willingness to change a contract mid-development. Both the fees and the definition of an install can be changed at a whim, leaving developers to feel as though they have no control, and that their livelihood can be heavily affected with a careless change in Unity’s Terms of Service.
Sources:
Bloomberg Article on Unity Closure
GameSpot Article on Unity Closure
Twitter - Red Hook Studios
Twitter - Galvanic Games
