Overview of changes to Autodesk Stingray

On January 7, 2018, Autodesk will stop sales and development of the Autodesk Stingray game engine. This change will have the following implications for subscribers.

• As of January 7, 2018, subscribers will no longer be able to purchase or renew Autodesk Stingray subscription.
• When their current subscription expire, they will no longer be able to use the software.
• Autodesk will no longer develop Autodesk Stingray as a separate product, but will continue to include Stingray functionality as part of Maya LT and 3ds Max (3ds Max Interactive).
• Games previously shipped with the Stingray engine will not be affected by these changes.

1.1. What is happening to Stingray?

1.2. Why is Autodesk discontinuing new releases of Stingray?

1.3. Will there be any more releases of Stingray?

Key Dates.

2.1 What will happen to my Stingray subscription after January 7, 2018?

2.2 Can I subscribe to Stingray after January after January 7, 2018?

2.3 What happens when my subscription expires after January 7, 2018?

2.4 What happens if my Stingray subscription contract is on auto-renewal?

2.5 Can new customers subscribe to Stingray after January 7, 2018?

2.6 As a Stingray subscriber, can I log support tickets after January 7, 2018?

2.7 As a Stingray subscriber, what happens if I report a bug before my contract end date?

2.8 What platforms are supported in the last version of Stingray?

2.9 Will new platform support be added to Stingray in the future?

2.10 How does this impact Maya LT?

2.11 As a Maya LT subscriber, will I still get support and updates for Stingray?

2.12 How do these changes to Stingray affect my 3ds Max subscription?

2.13 Are there any changes to the Media & Entertainment Collection?

1.1. What is happening to Stingray?

As of January 7, 2018, Autodesk will no longer develop nor sell Autodesk Stingray as a separate subscription product. Customers will no longer be able to purchase new subscriptions or renew their existing subscriptions. They will therefore be unable to use the software once their current subscription expires.

For now, Stingray will continue to be included with Maya LT but will no longer be developed. The version currently included with Maya LT, Autodesk Stingray version 1.9, will be the last version of Stingray released. Maya LT subscribers will be able to continue to use this version of Stingray as long as they have an active Maya LT subscription.

Autodesk Stingray subscribers will continue to receive technical support until the end of their subscription term.

1.2. Why is Autodesk discontinuing new releases of Stingray?

Our customers are increasingly standardizing on two game engines, Unity and Unreal Engine for both games and VR/AR authoring. Both engines have built extensive content and resource ecosystems for developers to leverage. We feel we can better serve our customers by working more closely with Unity and Unreal Engine rather than trying to develop our own alternative.

To this end we recently announced a partnership with Unity Technologies to improve workflow between our products. We will continue to invest in building better, more interactive authoring tools for both games and design visualization but will be pursuing stronger partnerships with third-party game engine developers rather than building our own engine.

1.3. Will there be any more releases of Stingray?

No, version 1.9, released in August 2017, is the last version of Autodesk Stingray that we will release. Customers who have a Stingray subscription plan will be able to use this version, as well as receive Stingray technical support until their subscription expires.

For now, Maya LT subscribers will also be able to continue to use Stingray version 1.9 as well as receive Stingray technical support as part of their subscription. Maya LT subscriptions are renewable. However, there will be no new updates to Stingray, and functionality cannot be guaranteed after January 7, 2018.

Key Dates

January 7, 2018             End of sale of Stingray subscription

January 7, 2018             End of development of Stingray

Stingray Questions

On January 7, 2018, Autodesk will no longer develop and sell Autodesk Stingray. Customers will no longer be able to purchase new subscriptions or renew existing ones, which means that once their subscription expires they will no longer be able to use the software. Customers who need continued access to the software can subscribe to Maya LT, at the same cost as their Stingray plan.

2.1 What will happen to my Stingray subscription after January 7, 2018?

If you have an active Stingray subscription plan, you will be able to continue to use Stingray (version 1.9), as well as to receive software support until the end of your term.

After January 7, 2018, when your subscription expires, you will no longer be able to renew it and you will lose access to the software.

If you want to continue to use Stingray after that date, you will need to subscribe to Maya LT. The price for Maya LT is the same as for Stingray so there should be no change in cost. However, it is important to understand that while you will get access to Stingray with Maya LT, the product is no longer being developed. There will be no new updates to the product and product functionality cannot be guaranteed after January 7, 2018.

Alternatively, you can subscribe to 3ds Max in order to access Stingray functionality via the 3ds Max Interactive feature introduced in 3ds Max 2018.

2.2 Can I subscribe to Stingray after January 7, 2018?

Customers will not be able to purchase subscriptions for Stingray after January 7, 2018.  If you need access to Stingray functionality after that date you will need to subscribe to Maya LT, 3ds Max or an Autodesk industry collection.

2.3 What happens when my subscription expires after January 7, 2018?

When your Stingray subscription expires after January 7, 2018, you will no longer be able to use the software. If you need access to Stingray after that date you will need to subscribe to Maya LT, 3ds Max or an Autodesk industry collection.

2.4 What happens if my Stingray subscription is on auto-renewal?

Stingray auto-renewal will be disabled on January 7, 2018, and all auto-renewal subscriptions will end at the end of their current contract term.

2.5 Can new customers subscribe to Stingray after January 7, 2018?

Neither Stingray subscribers nor new customers will be able to subscribe to Stingray after January 7, 2018 or their contract ends, whichever occurs later. However, both Stingray subscribers and new customers will be able to continue to use Stingray by subscribing to Maya LT. Alternatively, they will also be able to use 3ds Max Interactive by subscribing to 3ds Max or an Autodesk industry collection.

2.6 As a Stingray subscriber, can I log support tickets after January 7, 2018?

Yes. After January 7, 2018, if you have an active Stingray subscription, you can follow the usual process of obtaining support by going to your Autodesk account, logging in, selecting your Stingray product in the Support section and submitting a ticket via email or phone. Once your subscription expires, this option will no longer be available but you will continue to be able to access self-service support via the Autodesk Knowledge Network (AKN).

2.7 As a Stingray subscriber, what happens if I report a bug before my contract end date?

Bug reports will continue to be assessed for severity, however, there are no plans to continue to update Stingray after January 7, 2018 with either bug fixes or new features. As a result, most bug reports are unlikely to be acted upon although this will depend on the nature and severity of the problem reported.

2.8 What platforms are supported in the last version of Stingray?

Information about Stingray version 1.9, including supported platforms and SDK versions, can be found in the release notes on the Autodesk Knowledge Network here.

2.9 Will new platform support be added to Stingray in the future?

There will be no future development of Stingray and so support for either new platforms or updated platform SDKs will not be added to Stingray in the future.

2.10 How does this impact Maya LT?

Stingray version 1.9 will continue to be accessible to Maya LT subscribers by download from their Autodesk Account. However, there will be no future updates to Stingray and product compatibility will no longer be maintained with future versions of Maya LT

2.11 As a Maya LT subscriber, will I still get support and updates for Stingray?

If you are a Maya LT subscriber, you will continue to receive technical support for Stingray as per your contract, however, there will be no further updates or bug fixes to Stingray version 1.9.

How do these changes to Stingray affect my 3ds Max subscription?

The changes to Stingray subscription as a separate product do not affect your 3ds Max subscription. As a 3ds Max subscriber, you continue to have access to 3ds Max Interactive, and you continue to receive support as per your subscription contract.

2.13 Are there any changes to the Media & Entertainment Collection?

There are no changes to the Media & Entertainment Collection. 3ds Max continues to be included in the Media & Entertainment Collection, and as a result, subscribers to the Collection will have access to 3ds Max Interactive. In addition, 3ds Max is also included in the Architecture, Engineering, & Construction Collection, as well as the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection.