Unity Technologies has officially taken Unity 6 offline in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. The popular game development engine, widely used across the global gaming industry, will no longer receive updates or be available to users in these regions. In its place, a localized alternative titled 团结引擎 (translated as “Unity Engine”) will be used going forward.
According to an official statement, this transition is aimed at “ensuring that developers obtain game engine services that are more in line with the needs of the Chinese market.” The move signals a growing divergence between global and regional software infrastructures amid increasingly complex international relations.
Unity China to Adopt New Licensing Model
As of April 8, Unity China also updated its pricing policy for 团结引擎. Beginning in June 2025, the localized engine will follow the official Unity charging model, offering two distinct license tiers:
- Pro License: For professional teams and companies with over US$200,000 in annual revenue or funding.
- Personal License: For individual developers or smaller teams below the $200,000 threshold.
The localized engine first launched on January 1, 2024, and Unity China’s newly released technical roadmap states that its top development focus this year will be to “follow up on important functions of Unity 6.” This suggests an effort to maintain compatibility and feature parity with the global engine, at least in part.
A Shift Driven by Geopolitical Pressures
The timing of Unity 6’s removal from the Chinese market coincides with an escalation in the ongoing US–China trade war. With both countries imposing additional tariffs and restrictions across various sectors, the software industry appears to be the next frontier of economic decoupling.
The impact of these shifts is already being felt across the tech landscape. Earlier this month, Wicresoft—Microsoft’s first joint venture in China—announced the layoff of approximately 2,000 employees, citing “changes in the geopolitical and international business environment.”
What This Means for Chinese Developers
For developers in China, the shift away from the original Unity engine may bring both challenges and opportunities. While the localized 团结引擎 aims to align more closely with domestic regulatory and market demands, it also introduces uncertainty regarding long-term support, global compatibility, and access to Unity’s broader ecosystem.
With Unity 6 no longer available and future updates locked out from the Chinese market, studios targeting global releases may need to weigh their engine choices carefully or explore hybrid development pipelines to maintain international viability.
