The founder of the development team behind Metal Hellsinger, The Outsiders, is cautioning fans about potential changes due to ongoing concerns regarding new fees introduced by Unity, the game engine provider. These concerns could lead to the game’s removal from sale.
Metal Hellsinger, a Doom-style rhythmic FPS game renowned for its original soundtrack featuring prominent metal bands like Trivium, Arch Enemy, System of a Down, and Lamb of God, is among the titles facing an uncertain future due to the recent controversy surrounding Unity’s new fee policy.
Unity Engine is widely used in game development, particularly favored by indie developers for its user-friendly interface and developer-friendly terms. Some of the most popular PC games, such as Hollow Knight, Cities Skylines, Genshin Impact, Among Us, Kerbal Space Program, and Cuphead, are built with Unity.
Unity recently announced a new policy known as the ‘Unity runtime fee,’ which is based on the number of game installations. Under this policy, developers may incur fees of up to 20 cents per install once specific thresholds are reached. These thresholds include generating at least $200,000 in revenue in the last 12 months with a minimum of 200,000 lifetime installs for Unity Personal and Unity Plus members, or generating at least $1,000,000 in the last 12 months with a minimum of 1,000,000 lifetime installs for Unity Pro and Unity Enterprise developers.
Several developers, including Mega Crit (Slay the Spire) and Massive Monster (Cult of the Lamb), have expressed their concerns about Unity’s policy, with some considering switching to different game engines.
David Goldfarb, associated with Metal Hellsinger, has conveyed a brief but clear message to potential players: “Dear potential Metal Hellsinger players, remember we are a Unity game, which means get it while you can.” In response to a query about whether the game might be removed from sale, Goldfarb replied with a simple, “We will see.”
Unity has clarified that the policy won’t apply to games in charity bundles or users reinstalling a game. However, many developers remain cautious, and questions regarding how Unity tracks installs remain unanswered.
If you’re interested in acquiring Metal Hellsinger at a discounted price, it’s currently 50% off on Steam until September 25, priced at $14.99 / £11.84, down from $29.99 / £23.69. Additionally, its two DLC packs, Dream of the Beast and the Essential Hits pack, are both 25% off. Since Metal Hellsinger is no longer available on Microsoft’s Game Pass service, securing your own copy might be a wise choice.
For those who enjoy rhythm games, there are plenty of options among the best rhythm games on PC. You can also support independent developers by exploring the best indie games currently available.