GameMaker engine’s new runtime, GMRT, to become free for commercial use starting 2027

YoYoGames announced on October 23 that GameMaker’s next-generation runtime, GameMaker Runtime (GMRT), will be free for commercial use starting January 1, 2027. This will allow developers to create and distribute their games for free across desktop, mobile, web, and GX Games. They will still need to subscribe to GameMaker’s Enterprise plan to do the same for consoles, however.

GMRT is GameMaker’s latest runtime, designed to replace GameMaker Studio 2 (GMS2). It is supposed to improve performance, enhance compatibility with new tools, and expand the 3D capabilities of the GameMaker engine. An open beta version was released in 2024, with development ongoing until its 2027 release.

According to GameMaker, these changes “build upon the source code access for GMRT” that was previously announced and are aimed at making indie game development on the engine more accessible.

GameMaker Head Russel Kay made a statement regarding the announcement:

“From the very beginning, GameMaker has been committed to making game development more accessible and flexible for every creator out there… As GMRT continues to roll out in beta across platforms, we are widening the scope of what we provide to developers. We are excited to see what the community comes up with as we embark on this fresh chapter for GameMaker.”

By making GMRT free for everyone, he hopes that more developers will be incentivized to use GameMaker for creating their games. The engine was used to create many popular indie titles such as Undertale, Hotline Miami, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, and Katana Zero.