One of font services most widely used in Japan no longer offers an affordable licensing plan for games and apps on PC, Steam Deck, PS5, Xbox, Switch and Switch 2.
It’s a problem for Japanese game creatorsespecially since it is now a dilemma to go from a $380 annual plan to over $20,000.
As Gamemakers or GameSpark report and we read translated in Automaton, the service called Fontworks LETS It stopped offering this service on November 28th.
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His replacement arrived almost instantly via the new American parent company of FontworksMonotype, although its price is 50 times higher.
The previous LETS allowed developers to integrate Japanese HD fonts into their games for about 60,000 yen a year, about $380.
With the new structure, without local pricing in Japan, it is reported that the plan will cost US$20,500 annually; But be careful, there are still details aside.
The contract has a 25,000 user limit for apps that use certain fontssomething that – as the medium sums up – is completely unrealistic for most games today.
The Japanese don’t have easy alternatives, as English games can use system ones or other cheap ones, but the Japanese have a large number of characters that are very expensive to create.
That’s why LETS was an important service, its new pricing policy and limitations left out a large part of developers.
New, sky-high prices at Japanese gaming typography
The main factor for this change appears to be the purchase of Fontworks by the American company Monotype in 2023now the LETS program would be focused in a way that is in no way aimed at Japanese or Japanese-language game creators.
According to web and interface designer Yamanaka, the worst part would be the game studios as a service. And, even if they changed services, everything would have to be reintegrated and reassembled in a short time.
Furthermore, changing fonts also means rebranding and that means updating websites, advertisements and much more. And if a game can’t change or renew its license with Monotype, it may not even be legally updated.
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As an example we have the one that Automaton leaves us with, it is Fate/Grand Order, it has more than ten years of content.
“It’s a little-known problem, but it’s become a big deal in some circles.“Alwei said how CEO of development studio Indie-Us Games.
According to Alwei, after a high budget for renewing the license, your company changed to DynaFont. This problem is expected to be more serious in 2026 and many Japanese believe that Monotype will give them a more reasonable solution.