GameMaker to make GMRT free for commercial use from January 2027

By Priya Raman

GameMaker will make its next-generation GMRT runtime free for commercial use across desktop, mobile, web and GX Games from January 1, 2027, removing the professional-license purchase for developers releasing games with GMRT on those platforms.

GameMaker, maker of the 2D-centric engine, said GMRT remains in beta across platforms as the new commercial terms take effect at the start of 2027. The policy applies to games created and distributed with GMRT, rather than the existing GMS2 runtime, and covers four distribution destinations.

The company described the change as a streamlined licensing model. Developers can build and commercially distribute GMRT games without buying a professional license, while source-code access will be available across every tier. GameMaker said tier pricing will not change.

What changes for studios?

For studios evaluating GMRT, the immediate commercial question is whether they must buy a professional license to ship on desktop, mobile, web or GX Games. From January 1, the answer is no. The new model removes that purchase requirement for GMRT releases on all four destinations and includes source-code access at every tier.

The announcement does not make professional licenses irrelevant to the existing engine. Holders of a professional license will still be able to commercially distribute games built on GMS2, and they will gain access to the GMS2 runtime source code. That source-code addition applies to current professional-license holders rather than the new GMRT terms.

For development and finance teams, the policy produces four concrete changes:

• GMRT games can be commercially distributed without purchasing a professional license from January 1, 2027.
• Desktop, mobile, web and GX Games are covered by the free GMRT commercial-use model.
• Every GMRT tier includes source-code access.
• Existing professional-license holders retain commercial-distribution rights for GMS2 games and gain GMS2 runtime source-code access.

GameMaker also said pricing for its existing tiers will remain unchanged. The announcement therefore changes runtime licensing and source-code access, not the price list.

Console access stays gated

Free GMRT commercial use does not include console exports. GameMaker said developers must hold an enterprise license and be approved developers to export to consoles, regardless of the runtime they use.

That leaves two distinct paths for studios. A team can distribute a GMRT game commercially on desktop, mobile, web or GX Games without a professional license. Console export still requires the enterprise license and approval, including for projects built with GMS2.

The restriction keeps GMRT's four-platform offer separate from console deployment. It also means studios already positioned for console distribution do not gain a new console route through the GMRT policy; the same enterprise and approval conditions continue to apply.

Why the change now?

The announcement follows changes GameMaker made earlier this year to source-code access for GMRT. It also advances the company's stated goal of making indie game development more accessible while GMRT continues its cross-platform beta rollout.

Russell Kay, head of GameMaker, said: "From the very beginning, GameMaker has been committed to making game development more accessible and flexible for every creator out there."

He added: "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."

Kay framed the decision as a widening of what GameMaker provides during the beta, not as a change to GMS2 commercial rights. The practical effect remains concentrated in GMRT: no professional-license purchase for the named platforms, broader source-code access and unchanged tier prices.

The next checkpoint is January 1, 2027, when the free commercial-use terms begin. The breadth and stability of GMRT's ongoing beta across platforms are the signals worth watching before studios commit release plans.