Project Spark goes free and open.
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Microsoft cuts out the microtransactions from Project Spark game-creation engine

  • Posted byby Dean Takahashi
  • Updated
  • 2 min

Microsoft said tonight that it will transition Project Spark from a free-to-play microtransaction game to a “free and open creation engine.”

Starting on October 5, Project Spark will be freely available to players who want to use it to create games. That means Microsoft will automatically unlock previously paid downloadable content for new and existing Project Spark users. Microsoft will pivot from producing downloadable content (DLC) to encouraging more user-generated content and opening up the Project Spark experience.

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Written by

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.