Unity has announced that direct support for Multiplay Hosting will wind down, with the service transitioning to Rocket Science Group on March 31, 2026.
This is not new in our industry. We have seen similar transitions across multiplayer infrastructure over the years. If you are currently using Multiplay, you probably have questions. If you are not, you might be wondering what this signals for the broader server hosting landscape.
Either way, this is a good moment to step back and think about what actually matters when choosing infrastructure for a multiplayer game and the practical paths forward for Multiplay users.
What To Look For When Choosing a Multiplayer Server Provider
After talking to a number of studios, a few priorities consistently come up when re-evaluating server infrastructure:
Practical paths forward for studios using Multiplay
There is no single right move for every Multiplay user. The right approach depends on whether your game is live, in development, or still early.
The key point is choice. That is where backend platforms designed specifically for multiplayer games, especially ones that support gradual adoption instead of all-or-nothing migrations, like AccelByte, matter.
For example, with AccelByte, you can tackle any one or all of these approaches. Use just server orchestration if that's all you need, or go deeper if you're rethinking your entire backend.
We Only Do Game Backend (And That's The Point)
AccelByte is built for one thing: multiplayer game infrastructure. Not game engines, not ads, not seventeen other products, just backend services for games and all the tools around it.
Why does this matter?
Because when backend is your only business, it doesn't get deprioritized when company strategy shifts. Our entire engineering team wakes up thinking about matchmaking, server orchestration, and cross-platform auth. Everything we build, every optimization we make, every bug we fix — it's all for online game developers.
What We Actually Offer
Server Orchestration (AccelByte Multiplayer Servers)
If you just need someone to handle your dedicated servers, AMS does that:
Most teams get this integrated and running in production in 2-4 weeks by following a straightforward setup process:
From there, the exact flow depends on how your game handles matchmaking and session management. We support multiple patterns, whether you are using AccelByte matchmaking and sessions or integrating AMS with an existing solution. You can dive deeper into the available scenarios in this quick start guide.
Full Backend Suite (AccelByte Gaming Services)
Maybe you're rethinking your whole backend strategy. If building player accounts, matchmaking, or in-game stores in-house sounds exhausting (because it is), we've got you covered:
It's modular. Use what you need, ignore what you don't.
Customization (AccelByte Extend)
Every game is different. Extend lets you write custom logic without forking our codebase:
And whatever you build is fully hosted and managed by us!
Single-Tenant vs Multi-Tenant (And Pricing That Makes Sense)
We offer both, because different games have different needs:
Both options use the same codebase and tools. You can start multi-tenant and move to single-tenant later when you need it. No weird migration or rebuilding anything.
Plus there's a 90-day free trial for AMS so you can test this stuff before committing.
Want to Check It Out?
We built AccelByte, so we naturally think it’s great! If you're evaluating options or want to compare approaches to multiplayer servers, we’re happy to talk it through or you can try it for yourself!