With the announcement of GXC, indie developers now have a new platform to self-publish their titles. The service, launched by Opera, lets devs release games straight from GameMaker Studio 2 to a browser.
Opera made the announcement on September 30, saying that it is a new step towards building synergies between GameMaker Studio 2 and its gaming browser Opera GX.
GXC will let developers instantly export their projects from the engine and release them on the browser for free. According to Opera, it will shorten the time for market and will help creators “faster build and gain feedback from a highly engaged audience.”
Opera GX has now an audience of over 10 million gamers that will now be able to see all these titles on the web. GXC is expected to enter a beta stage in the coming weeks.
Along with the launch of the new platform, Opera announced the Community Showcase Competition. Every developer creating a game on GameMaker Studio 2 can upload their title to GXC and have a chance to win one of 45 $1000 prizes.
Creators will compete in nine categories, including Best Level Design, Best Soundtrack, Best Action, and Best Art Direction. It is worth noting that developers can tweak their projects during the competition. The winners will be announced on October 30.
Opera has been actively expanding into gaming since it acquired GameMaker creator YoYo Games earlier this year. In July, the company also introduced a free version of the engine, allowing developers to create games at no cost.