Just got this email:

If you love something, set it free!

valleyshot-final

It's been an amazing year for Unreal Engine 4. We've grown a lot, we've learned a lot, and with your help and feedback, made the engine easier to use and more powerful than ever. Now we're making Unreal Engine 4 freely available to developers everywhere.

Before we do, we wanted to say a sincere thanks to those of you who've been with us all along the way. We're humbled by your energy, enthusiasm, and the incredible stuff you're doing with the engine. And because of you, we're motivated to work even harder so that together, we can all create great things that inspire and shape the future of the medium that we love.

If you have paid for a subscription on or after January 30th, you will receive a pro-rated refund for your latest month's payment after March 12th. You'll continue to receive all future updates for free.

And, because you were a paying subscriber, we're also giving you a gift of $30 that you can spend in the Marketplace now or save for a future use.

Happy creating!
- The Team at Epic Games

Anyone expected this?

Looks like it was posted on their blog as well: https://www.unrealengine.com/blog/ue4-is-free

Thats pretty amazing. It's pretty hard not to respect those guys, really pushing things forward.

marketplace.

now let's wait for unity and cryengine...

Beat me to it. I was just going to post about this! Awesome news!

Yep, known about this for a while now, it's been killing me not being able to tell people that it was coming, certainly in discussions about the engine when people ask 'can I try it for free'... well, now you can ;)

I assume this goes for non-profitable purposes only?

I assume this goes for non-profitable purposes only?

I don't know, but the email reads to me they are ending the subscription model altogether, i'm at work atm so i can't dig deeper into the details.

I assume this goes for non-profitable purposes only?

5% of royalties after the first 3000$ still apply.

I assume this goes for non-profitable purposes only?

5% of royalties after the first 3000$ still apply.

Correct, it is the monthly cost which has gone, all other terms remain the same.

If you make a free game it cost you nothing.
If you make a game to sell then it only costs you after your first $3000/quarter.

Basically you are now at zero risk to use the engine because if you make nothing then it has cost you nothing.

This is an amazing move, but the forum will get a overrun by Newbies there still needs to be a premium option.