GameMaker, one of the best game development software platforms used by indies, has announced that its next-generation runtime, GMRT, will be free for commercial use from 1 January, 2027. From that date, developers can build and sell GMRT games on desktop, mobile, web, and GX Games without first buying a Professional licence.
Today, GameMaker is free for non-commercial projects, but selling a game requires a Professional licence, which costs $99.99 as a one-off payment. The developer platform has been used to make games including Spelunky, Deltarune and UFO 50. Read our GameMaker 'everything you need to know' explainer for more on what has been and can be made.
A GMRT runtime is the software that takes your code and makes it run on a computer or game console; think of it as the cogs that make everything work. Making it free is another step toward helping more people get into game development, since its mix of visual, low-code tools and a coding environment is easy to grasp.
Time to try GameMaker?
The announcement builds on the GMRT source-code access GameMaker revealed earlier this year, and every tier will include it. GameMaker says developers can explore the technology, adapt it to their projects, and potentially contribute. Professional licence holders will also get source access to the existing GMS2 runtime, and can keep selling games made with it.
Console exports are unchanged. Whichever runtime you use, you will still need an Enterprise licence and approved-developer status, and GameMaker says existing tier pricing stays the same. Our 5 tips to get started in GameMaker guide offers more advice on what you need to know.
GMRT is still in beta and rolling out across platforms, so check what it supports before you commit a project to it. Visit the GameMaker Blog for more details and updates.
Useful game design books:
O'Reilly
Designing Games: a Guide to Engineering Experiences
CRC Press
The Art of Game Design: a Book of Lenses, Third Edition
CRC Press
The Art of Game Design: a Book of Lenses
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Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.