CryEngine subscription launches on Steam
Royalty-free engine-as-a-service now available exclusively through Valve's storefront
Steam is most often thought of as a destination for game players, but it's becoming a significant source for game developers as well. Crytek today launched its CryEngine subscription service exclusively through Valve's digital storefront.
"Today's announcement means we are adding the first complete game development engine to Steam, with access to enough source code to allow the creation of any kind of PC game," Crytek director of business development Carl Jones said in a statement. "We're also giving indie developers state-of-the-art tools that live within the same eco-system that they can choose to publish their games."
Originally announced in March, the CryEngine subscription service gives developers full use of the engine for a monthly fee of $9.90 or €9.90. And unlike Epic Games' recently adopted Unreal Engine 4 subscription service, the CryEngine model doesn't require developers to pay royalties.
Crytek is promising to support the CryEngine with continuous updates and extensive documentation. The company is also releasing a variety of tutorials, demo levels and assets to help bring developers up to speed with the tech. While Crytek created the Microsoft-published Xbox One launch title Ryse: Son of Rome, the engine is decidedly more agnostic, including support for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Wii U in addition to Microsoft's PC and console platforms.