Let me introduce you to the concept of sunk cost.
In economics and business decision-making, a sunk cost (also known as retrospective cost) is a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered.
The money already spent cannot be gotten back. Spending more continuing to develop using Unity instead of cutting your losses and moving on is a fools game.
I’m generally a bit weary of the sunk cost fallacy being absolute.
I think, in most cases it will be though. Furthermore, I think a developer needs to do a cost analysis to know for sure. They should include the consideration that if Unity get away with this AND it makes them more money, they will gouge for more.
For any new developer, this has to be a huge red flag.
Many of these groups are small indie companies or single individuals, with limited money. This is more an all in scenario then sunk cost.
I am not saying it is an easy or pleasant decision.
Many of these groups are small indie companies or single individuals
And they are the people who will be least able to afford this price increase or the next or the next.
It sucks but that is the reality.
Cut your losses and move on.
A lot of developers have really tight profit margins and/or their current projects heavily rely on what Unity provides. “Cutting their losses and move on” would mean bankruptcy. They might be able to switch to other engines in the future but right now leaving Unity behind is not a valid decision for them.
If I were a single indie dev with a game that was 90% complete in Unity, I think it would be fair to myself to say “well, this will be the LAST game I build in Unity”.