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EGDF: UNITY’S INSTALL FEES ARE A SIGN OF LOOMING GAME ENGINE MARKET FAILURE
Step by step, video game engines are becoming key gatekeepers of European cultural and creative sectors. Currently, Unity dominates game engine markets, Unreal being its primary challenger. These two engines are not just clear market leaders in the game industry but increasingly vital market actors in film, architecture, and industrial design and simulations. In 2022, Unity reported that globally, 230,000 game developers made and operated over 750,000 games using the Unity Engine and the Unity Gaming Services portfolio of products.
Unity’s new fee structure is going to have a drastic impact on the game industry.
Over the years, the Unity game engine has reached close to unofficial industry-standard status in some game markets. Its well-designed tools and services have lowered the market access barriers in the game industry. Furthermore, it has played a crucial role in removing technological barriers to cross-platform game development. Now, Unity has informed the game dev community that it will move from subscription-based fees to subscription and install-based fees, which will significantly increase the game development costs for most game developers relying on their services. EGDF finds it unfortunate that Unity has significantly damaged its reputation as a reliable and predictable business partner with these sudden and drastic changes in its pricing principles.
Bigger game developer studios have the luxury of being able to develop their own game engines. Consequently, market uncertainty and significantly increased service provider risks caused by Unity’s new fee structure will hit, in particular, SME game developers. It will be much harder for them to build reliable business plans, make informed decisions on game engines, and run a profitable business. Many of these studios struggled to access risk funding before Unity’s announcement, and it has only worsened their situation.
Unity’s decision will have a broader impact on the whole game industry ecosystem. Many professional game education institutions have built their curriculum on the Unity game engine. If Unity’s new pricing model starts a mass exodus from Unity’s engine, it will lead to rapid changes in professional game education itself and place many young industry professionals who have built their career plans on mastering Unity’s tools in a very difficult position.
Although Unity’s decision will cause significant challenges for the industry, EGDF kindly reminds that instead of focusing on blaming individual Unity employees for the changes, it is far more productive to focus on taking measures that increase competition in game engine markets.
Unity’s anti-competitive market behaviour must be carefully monitored, and, if required, the European competition authorities must step in.
Unity is an increasingly dominant market player in the game markets. According to Unity’s own estimate, in general, 63% of all game developers use its game engine. The share can be even higher in some submarkets. Unity estimates that 70% of top mobile games are powered by its engine. Unsurprisingly, Unity’s game engine is now a de facto standard in mobile game markets to the extent that whole formal professional game education degree programmes have been built on training its use. However, Unity’s market dominance is not just based on the quality of its game engine. It is also an outcome of aggressive competition practices and systematic and methodological work of making game developers dependent on Unity services.
How Unity bundes different services together potentially distorts competition in game middleware markets. Over the years, Unity has, step by step, bundled its game engine more and more together with other game development tools under the Unity Gaming Services portfolio. Unity is not just a game engine; it is also a player sign-in and authentication service, a game version control tool, a player engagement service, a game analytics service, a game chat service, a crash reporting tool, a game ad network, game ad mediation tool, an user acquisition service and in-game store building tool. This creates a significant vendor lock risk for game developers using Unity services. It also makes it difficult for many game middleware developers to compete against Unity and, all in all, significantly strengthened Unity’s game engine’s market position compared to its rivals.
Now, Unity is strategically using install fees to deepen the lock-in effect by creating a solid financial incentive to bundle other Unity services even closer to its game engine: “ Qualifying customers may be eligible for credits toward the Unity Runtime Fee based on the adoption of Unity services beyond the Editor, such as Unity Gaming Services or Unity LevelPlay mediation for mobile ad-supported games. This program enables deeper partnership with Unity to succeed across the entire game lifecycle.” This will, of course, drastically impact Unity’s direct competitors.
Unity’s install fees are an excellent example of Unity’s potentially anti-competitive market behaviour. It is clear that if Unity’s pricing model had, in the past, been similar to the now-introduced model, it would likely never have achieved the level of dominance it enjoys today, as more developers would have chosen another alternative in the beginning.
The fact that Unity’s new install fees are only targeted at video games and do not apply to other industries logically leads to a question: Is Unity setting prices below cost level at different market segments, or is Unity charging excessive prices in game markets? Furthermore, does the fact that Unity is now introducing an install fee on top of the licensing fee mean that licensing fees have before been below cost level? Or does the introduction of install fees on top of the licensing fees of their game engine allow them to provide other, lock-in generating, services below cost level?
In the end, Unity has built its dominant position in game markets for years and systematically made game developers more dependent on it. It is a good question if Unity has now crossed the line of abusing its market dominance on weaker trading parties that deeply depend on its services. Game productions can take years, and game developers cannot change their game engine at the last minute, so they are forced to accept all changes in contract terms, no matter how exploitative they are. Unity must know that if they had given more notice, many more developers might have had a realistic chance of abandoning Unity altogether by the time the new pricing came into play.
The new install fees will limit game developers’ freedom to conduct business as it pushes them to implement Unity ad-based business models even in games that otherwise would not have ad-based monetisation. Furthermore, this will create a competitive disadvantage for those game distribution platforms that do not use ad-based monetisation at all (e.g. subscription services and pay-per-download games), as Unity is de facto forcing them to increase their consumer fees compared to channels that allow the use of Unity’s ad-based monetisation tools.
The new install fees will likely lead to less choice for consumers. Install fees will allow Unity to extract value from games that generate a lot of installs through, e.g. virality, but do not necessarily generate money. Install fees will lead to markets where game developers want to limit the downloads and try to avoid installs from the wrong players. This can potentially kill part of the game market. For example, indie developers that have an unfortunate mix of being a success on the number of installs but that are struggling to generate revenue, or hyper-casual game studios based on combining a huge install base with minuscule revenue generated per game.
In the long run, the EU needs to update its regulatory framework to answer the challenges caused by dominant game engines.
Unity’s install fees demonstrate why the EU needs a new regulatory framework for unfair, non-negotiable B2B contract terms. Contract terms Unity has with game developers are non-negotiable. With the new non-negotiable install fee, European game developers have to either withdraw their games from markets, increase consumer prices or renegotiate their contracts with third parties. For example, if a game memory institution makes games available for download on their website, a game developer studio must now ask for a fee for it or ban making European digital cultural heritage available to European citizens. The three-month time frame Unity is providing for all this is not enough.
The Commissions should introduce a specific regulation for non-negotiable B2B contract terms. The regulation should provide sufficient time (e.g. in a minimum, six months) for markets to react to significant changes in non-negotiable terms and conditions that a service provider has communicated to their business users in a plain, clear and understandable manner (e.g. now it is unclear how Unity counts the installs). Furthermore, the Commission should bring much-needed market certainty by banning retroactive pricing and contract changes.
The Commission should include game engines in DMA. While reviewing the recently adopted Digital Markets Act (DMA), the Commission should consider lowering the B2B user thresholds and adding gatekeeper game engines under its scope. This would, for example, ensure that Unity cannot use data it collects through its game engine to gain an unfair competitive advantage for its other services like advertisement services.
The Commission should increase its R&D support for the European game industry. The fact that there is no major competitor for Unity Engine that does not require constant back-end server connection is a market failure in itself. The Unity Game engine is not fully scalable because Unity has built its engine in a way that it calls home every time it is installed to report instals for Unity. Consequently, the Commission should strengthen its efforts to support the emergence of new European game technology and business service providers. In particular, the Commission should increase its support for privacy-friendly open-source alternatives for game engines, like for example Godot or Defold or similar, that do not require constant back-end server connection and thus have no need for scalable revenue-based fees or install fees.
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POKERSTARS GALACTIC SERIES PAYS OUT MORE THAN €8 MILLION TO FRENCH, SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE PLAYERS
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Series and Main Event both exceed their guarantees
PokerStars’ has once again smashed expectations in Southern Europe, with the Galactic Series, one of its most popular series for players in France, Spain and Portugal, generating an €8 million prize pool, over €1 million above the guarantee. The prize pool was shared out across 261 events and more than 343,000 entries. The highlight of the series was the Main Event that paid out €365,025 to players across the three weeks.
GALACTIC STAR BATTLES FOR SILVER AND GOLD PRIZES
Throughout the series, players had the chance to get their hands on additional Silver and Gold Passes by opting-in to the Galactic Stars Battle. Players opted in for a PokerStars Ambassador, and all those who chose to support the leading Ambassador each week being entered into a freeroll to win a Silver Power Pass.
In Spain, captains ‘WilloelPillo’ and ‘and1ero’ saw a similar pattern. Willo was victorious in weeks one and three with 327,805 and 250,763 points respectively while Álex ‘and1ero’ Romero took the advantage in week two with 318,631 points and Esteban ‘estiwinho’ Pascual couldn’t reach the top spot in any week.
Silver and Gold Passes can be redeemed as entries to a range of PokerStars Live events throughout the year, including marquee stops at the European Poker Tour (EPT) and the PokerStars Open, which debuted this year and have provided players across Europe with world class poker at accessible price points with lively, grassroots-style atmosphere and entertainment. Closing out the season, EPT Prague starts December 3 and runs until December 14, and will be followed by PokerStars Open Cannes on December 16. Players with Gold or Silver Passes can redeem them for entries at both of these events.
“Once again, we’ve seen players from all over France, Spain and Portugal come together to enjoy the Galactic Series”, said Sandro Forleo, Head of Poker Operations for Southern Europe and Italy at PokerStars. “Our Mega Mystery events, where bounties can be won as soon as late reg closes, proved especially popular and continued to offer something new and enjoyable to players at all experience levels.”
The post POKERSTARS GALACTIC SERIES PAYS OUT MORE THAN €8 MILLION TO FRENCH, SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE PLAYERS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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The eSports World Tournament FIFAe World Cup 2025™ Kicks-Off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 10!
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Commemorating the start of the tournament, a new in-game update arrives and fans can take part in a campaign launching today in eFootball
Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. (Konami) announces the FIFAe World Cup 2025 featuring eFootball. Kicking off on December 10th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the official eSports tournament is hosted by FIFA® for a live audience and live streamed worldwide. This year marks the second edition of the tournament where a record of 90 countries and regions participated in the preliminaries totalling 16.51 million participants.
eFootball official website: konami.com/efootball…
FIFAe World Cup 2025 is an official eSports world championship co-hosted by Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA®). This year 12 national representatives emerged victorious from regional qualifiers and will now compete in the console and mobile divisions for the tournament’s highest honours and be crowned champions.
For the console division, it will be held in a 2v2 format with players participating in teams of three whereas the mobile division will be a 1v1 format. Both divisions will feature players from 12 different countries where they compete through a group stage and knockout stage before battling it out in the finals.
To celebrate the start of the tournament, users can participate in an eFootball campaign and can obtain free special items. Logging in during the campaign period rewards users with different items.
Additionally, users also receive one player item each day from a curated special player list. Users can also take on a Squad Challenge Event where clearing challenges with specific rules will reward them with various items. The campaign period is from December 4th – December 18th.
Coinciding with this campaign, a new game update has been implemented to adjust game balance and adds various features and gameplay elements to enhance the experience. A new particular feature analyses in-game player tendencies and adds an “Advice” feature where players and coaches provide feedback in real-time that could serve as a catalyst for improvements in tactics.
Another feature is the “Analysis” which aggregates and analyses the results of each user’s last 10 PvP matches and visualises their playstyle via comparison graphs and data against opposition from Division 1 – Division 4 users.
Also being introduced to this update is Ronald Koeman receiving the “Link-up Play” feature. Ronald Koeman possesses the “Aggressive Centring A” Link-Up where the “Centrepiece” is in possession of the ball, the “Key Man” will actively make runs towards goal from crosses. Activating this Link-Up increases the accuracy for high and low crosses as well as direct shots from those passes from the “Centrepiece” to the “Key Man”. Legendary player items such as “Epic: David Beckham” and “Epic: Jan Koller” meet the activation conditions and are now available in-game from December 4th – December 11th.
Other features and improvements include:
- “Auto Control” which allows the AI to take control when the user is not actively playing. • Adjustments in speed and acceleration for defenders by reducing the extreme disparities against speedy players.
- Acceleration during latter periods of a match with decreased stamina has also been fine tuned to allow players with decreased stamina to maintain their reaction speed even with a reduced stamina.
- Alterations to the “Defensive Awareness” parameter where defenders with high “Defensive Awareness” can now keep up with opponents more effectively even if their acceleration stat is lower.
Access the viewing page from ‘eFootball’ and watch the broadcasts for the Console Division and Mobile Division to earn up to 2,500eFootball points.
Day 1-3
- Console / Mobile
- Viewing Reward: 500 eFootball Points
Day 4 Final
- Console:
- Viewing Reward: 1,000 eFootball Points
- Mobile:
- Viewing Reward: 1,000 eFootball Points
The post The eSports World Tournament FIFAe World Cup 2025™ Kicks-Off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 10! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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S8UL launches India’s first-ever FGC Talent Hunt Program to discover the next stars in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6
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A total of six players will be selected for the six-month program, running from January to June 2026, following the finals of the talent hunt
Selected athletes will receive professional coaching, fully funded participation in Tier-1 international tournaments, complete travel support, a monthly stipend, and integration into S8UL’s content ecosystem
Mumbai, December 4, 2025: S8UL, a global powerhouse in esports and gaming content, has announced a landmark initiative for India’s fighting game community (FGC) with the launch of a first-of-its-kind Talent Hunt Program for Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6. Running from January to June 2026, the six-month program aims to identify and develop India’s next breakthrough fighting-game athletes through a structured, high-performance ecosystem and position the country prominently on the global FGC map.
Unlike traditional talent hunts, S8UL’s initiative is designed as a development pipeline, focusing on long-term athlete growth rather than one-off competition. From a wide pool of participants across the nation, a total of six players, including two for Tekken 8 and four for Street Fighter 6, will be scouted and selected solely based on their performance in the nationwide qualifiers and finals.
Selected players will receive one of the most comprehensive support structures ever provided in India’s competitive FGC space, including:
- A dedicated professional coach for each game throughout the six-month program
- Fully-funded participation in a minimum of three international Tier-1 tournaments
- Comprehensive travel support covering flights, accommodation, meals, local transport, and tournament registration
- A monthly stipend to ensure athletes can focus entirely on training and performance
- Integration into S8UL’s industry-leading content ecosystem, offering visibility, narrative-building, and community reach to both the players and the fighting game titles
Speaking about the program, Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO, S8UL Esports, said, “India’s fighting game community has shown tremendous potential but players have rarely had access to a structured environment that supports long-term growth. Through this Talent Hunt Program, we want to change that by giving selected athletes professional coaching, international tournament experience, and the day-to-day support they need to improve. This is not just a short-term project for us—it’s the beginning of a sustained effort to help build a strong foundation for fighting games in India and give our players a fair chance to compete on the world stage”
S8UL today stands as the only Indian esports organization competing across nine leading titles, and it has begun establishing a strong foothold in fighting games as well. After becoming the first Indian team selected for the Esports World Cup’s Club Partner Program, S8UL competed in qualifiers for titles such as Fatal Fury and Tekken 8, underscoring its long-term commitment to the FGC ecosystem.
S8UL’s state-of-the-art gaming house is one of India’s most advanced training and content facilities built to global esports standards. The setup includes structured training schedules, dedicated practice zones, content studios, analytics support, and a high-performance environment that drives discipline and growth. For the FGC Talent Hunt athletes, this access will be transformative. They will train like professional competitors while also learning to build their personal brands through content, storytelling, and community engagement, preparing them to become both top-tier players and future esports personalities.
With fighting games gaining momentum worldwide through major events such as EVO, the Esports World Cup, and the Asian Games, S8UL’s initiative arrives at a crucial moment for the Indian esports ecosystem. The Talent Hunt Program is poised to play an important role in positioning India as a rising force in the global FGC landscape.
Players interested in participating can register here – start.gg/tournament/s8ul-gauntlet/details?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAOeRm5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAacpQXYhiJrLqlKmzwd17yHb8kmDHaXK8HAYTh5ltYtSyZqF5OSnaP6oHxgrtw_aem_ps-_uz-8aMSR5Nqa3IgPjA
The post S8UL launches India’s first-ever FGC Talent Hunt Program to discover the next stars in Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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