How much does it cost to publish a game on Unreal Engine?

The cost to publish a game on Unreal Engine is free, with a 5% royalty due to Epic Games only when a game generates more than $1 million in revenue, or $3,000 per product, per quarter. Additionally, there is a one-time fee of $100 to publish a game on the Epic Games Store, but this fee is waived if the game is built using Unreal Engine and uses Epic’s payment processor.

Understanding the Cost of Publishing a Game on Unreal Engine

To further understand the costs associated with publishing a game on Unreal Engine, let’s explore some frequently asked questions.

FAQs

1. Is Unreal Engine free to use?: Yes, Unreal Engine is 100% free to download and use, including all its tools, features, and complete C++ source code, making it a great option for students, hobbyists, and indie developers.
2. Do you have to pay to make a game on Unreal Engine?: No, developing and releasing a game made with Unreal is entirely free, with a 5% royalty due to Epic Games only when a game passes $3,000 revenue per quarter.
3. Can you publish a game made with Unreal Engine?: Yes, as long as you’re in good terms with the EULA and Epic’s royalties policy, you can sell your games anywhere, including GameJolt, Itch.io, and Steam for desktop games.
4. How much does it cost to publish a game on Epic Games?: The cost to publish a game on the Epic Games Store is a one-time fee of $100 per game, but you need to comply with the requirements to be able to publish the game.
5. Can I make a game in Unreal and sell it?: Yes, you can sign up to become a publisher and submit your Unreal Engine products using the Publisher Portal, and if approved, you’ll receive 88% of the base price for every sale of your published products.
6. How much does it cost to release a game on Unreal Engine 5?: It starts as free for everyone and has several pricing options after that, with Epic Games charging a 5% royalty fee when you develop or publish a game using Unreal Engine 5 from the gross revenue when the product’s lifetime gross exceeds USD 1 million.
7. How much do Unreal Engine artists make per hour?: The average hourly pay for an Unreal Engine Artist in the United States is $36.47 an hour, as of Oct 18, 2023.
8. Are Unreal Engine developers in demand?: Yes, Unreal Engine is the most in-demand game engine skill to have on your resume, and employer demand for knowledge of Unreal Engine is projected to grow 122% over the next ten years.
9. How hard is it to learn Unreal Engine?: The process of creating a game with Unreal Engine is not difficult, but it does require some knowledge of the language, and game developers who are new to Unreal Engine may want to consider using a game development studio that specializes in the platform to get started more quickly.
10. Do you need to pay to publish a game?: As long as your game complies with the Steam Terms of Service, you will only need to create an account and pay a one-time fee of US$100 to publish your game on Steam, and they will give you the money back if your game makes $1,000 in gross revenue from sales on the Steam store.
11. Can I publish a game for free?: Yes, you can publish a game for free on platforms like Newgrounds, which hosts free games, animations, and other forms of media created by users, and also has a built-in payment system.
12. Do you have to pay to publish a Unity game?: No, Unity charges nothing for publishing of individual titles, but charges per-month for a subscription to their Pro-license, and a one-time charge if you just want to buy a Pro-license outright.
13. Can one person make a game in Unreal?: Yes, one person can make a game in Unreal Engine, but it’s recommended to use placeholders until you have the gameplay ready, and then focus on freelancers for specific tasks like art, code, or others.
14. Does Epic Games make money off Unreal Engine?: Yes, Epic Games generates revenue of 5% if you make an income of $1,000,000 or more using Unreal Engine, which is a fair deal for every developer, and Fortnite is by far the biggest money-maker for Epic Games.
15. Is Unreal Engine Marketplace profitable?: The Unreal Engine Marketplace can be profitable if you’re selling something that is non-genre specific and could be used with every project type and is needed by the community, but if it’s something that only applies to a specific title, then it may not sell as well.