GameMaker goes free for commercial PC, web and mobile publishing in 2027
YoYo Games will drop the paid Professional licence requirement for PC, web and mobile releases, but console publishing still needs an Enterprise licence.
YoYo Games has announced that games made with GameMaker can be published commercially for free on PC, web and mobile from 1 January 2027. The change was detailed by community developer Ross Manthorpe in a post on the official GameMaker site, according to Rock Paper Shotgun.
Console releases are not covered. Bringing a GameMaker game to console will still require a paid Enterprise licence and approved developer status, and existing tier pricing will not change.
Developers who already hold a Professional licence keep their current terms: they will still be able to distribute games commercially built on the GMS2 runtime, and they will get access to the GMS2 runtime source code.
26 years of GameMaker
GameMaker is a series of game creation tools dating back around 26 years, and its output includes Derek Yu's Spelunky, Toby Fox's Undertale and Dennaton Games' Hotline Miami. In November 2023, YoYo Games announced the tools would be free for non-commercial use on PC; until now, selling or monetising a GameMaker project required a Professional licence.
The latest incarnation, GameMaker Runtime, is intended to strengthen the toolset's 3D capabilities. YoYo Games is owned by the browser company Opera.
Quick answers
When does free commercial publishing start for GameMaker?
From 1 January 2027, for games released on PC, web and mobile.
Can I sell a GameMaker game on console for free?
No. Console releases still require a paid Enterprise licence and approved developer status.
Will GameMaker's existing licence prices change?
No, existing tier pricing will not change.