Maxon - Revision history

Keith: clarified that the red giant discontinuation was sale of new licenses, and does not appear to be revocation of old ones

2026-05-14T13:17:30Z

clarified that the red giant discontinuation was sale of new licenses, and does not appear to be revocation of old ones

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:17, 14 May 2026
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	In November 2023, Maxon released ZBrush 2024. The release was available exclusively via subscription. Perpetual licenses were no longer offered for the new version, and holders of existing perpetual licenses could not upgrade to ZBrush 2024.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" /> Subscription pricing was set at $39 per month or $359 per year.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" /> New features introduced in ZBrush 2024, including the Repeat to Similar system and Cinema 4D noise integrations, were available only to subscribers.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" />		In November 2023, Maxon released ZBrush 2024. The release was available exclusively via subscription. Perpetual licenses were no longer offered for the new version, and holders of existing perpetual licenses could not upgrade to ZBrush 2024.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" /> Subscription pricing was set at $39 per month or $359 per year.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" /> New features introduced in ZBrush 2024, including the Repeat to Similar system and Cinema 4D noise integrations, were available only to subscribers.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" />

	=== Red Giant ~~perpetual license discontinuation~~ ===		=== Discontinuation of sale of perpetual licenses for Red Giant ===

	Maxon merged with Red Giant, a developer of visual effects and color grading plugins. The merger added Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, Magic Bullet Suite, Universe, and PluralEyes to Maxon's product portfolio.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" />		Maxon merged with Red Giant, a developer of visual effects and color grading plugins. The merger added Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, Magic Bullet Suite, Universe, and PluralEyes to Maxon's product portfolio.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" />

	In September 2021, Maxon discontinued perpetual licenses for Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, and Magic Bullet Suite without advance announcement. CG Channel reported that the change was only apparent when perpetual license purchase options vanished from the Maxon online store. When contacted, Maxon confirmed that it had "decided to not offer a perpetual version of the individual suites."<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" /> Perpetual licenses of the previous versions remained available for $999, but the latest versions were accessible only via Red Giant Complete subscriptions at $79 per month or $599 per year, or via Maxon One subscriptions at $149 per month or $1,199 per year.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" />		In September 2021, Maxon discontinued the sale of perpetual licenses for Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, and Magic Bullet Suite without advance announcement. CG Channel reported that the change was only apparent when perpetual license purchase options vanished from the Maxon online store. When contacted, Maxon confirmed that it had "decided to not offer a perpetual version of the individual suites."<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" /> Perpetual licenses of the previous versions remained available for $999, but the latest versions were accessible only via Red Giant Complete subscriptions at $79 per month or $599 per year, or via Maxon One subscriptions at $149 per month or $1,199 per year.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" />

	== Products ==		== Products ==

Keith at 13:12, 14 May 2026

2026-05-14T13:12:00Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:12, 14 May 2026
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	== See also ==		== See also ==

	* [[Subscription software licensing]]
	* [[Digital rights management]]		* [[Digital rights management]]

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	{{reflist}}		{{reflist}}

	~~<!-- INCIDENT SEVERITY SCORES (for pipeline orchestration, not displayed)~~
	~~INCIDENT_SCORE: Maxon Forger discontinuation and subscription file lockout \| 85/100 \| Data lock-in, file access loss, forced migration at 6x price~~
	~~INCIDENT_SCORE: ZBrush perpetual license elimination \| 80/100 \| Elimination of perpetual licenses after 20+ years of free upgrades, forced subscription~~
	~~INCIDENT_SCORE: Red Giant perpetual license discontinuation \| 70/100 \| Silent discontinuation, forced obsolescence~~
	~~-->~~

	[[Category:Maxon]]		[[Category:Maxon]]
	[[Category:Software Companies]]		[[Category:Software Companies]]
	[[Category:Subscription Licensing]]		[[Category:Subscription Licensing]]

Louis: Update: Remove Autograph section to focus on highest-severity incidents only

2026-05-14T12:13:31Z

Update: Remove Autograph section to focus on highest-severity incidents only

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:13, 14 May 2026
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	{{#seo:description=Maxon eliminates perpetual licenses for acquired products including ZBrush, Red Giant, and Forger, forcing subscriptions and locking users out of ~~legacy~~ files.}}		{{#seo:description=Maxon eliminates perpetual licenses for acquired products including ZBrush, Red Giant, and Forger, forcing subscriptions and locking users out of proprietary files.}}

	{{CompanyCargo		{{CompanyCargo
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	* Maxon acquired Pixologic, the developer of ZBrush, in December 2021.<ref name="zbrush-faq" /> In November 2023, Maxon released ZBrush 2024 exclusively via subscription at $39 per month or $359 per year, eliminating perpetual licenses that Pixologic had previously sold with free feature upgrades.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" />		* Maxon acquired Pixologic, the developer of ZBrush, in December 2021.<ref name="zbrush-faq" /> In November 2023, Maxon released ZBrush 2024 exclusively via subscription at $39 per month or $359 per year, eliminating perpetual licenses that Pixologic had previously sold with free feature upgrades.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" />
	* In September 2021, Maxon discontinued perpetual licenses for [[Red Giant]] plugin suites without advance announcement, leaving only subscription options for new versions of Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, and Magic Bullet Suite.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.cgchannel.com/2021/09/maxon-ends-perpetual-licences-of-red-giant-products/ \|title=Maxon ends perpetual licences of Red Giant products \|date=2021-09-17 \|website=CG Channel \|access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref>		* In September 2021, Maxon discontinued perpetual licenses for [[Red Giant]] plugin suites without advance announcement, leaving only subscription options for new versions of Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, and Magic Bullet Suite.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.cgchannel.com/2021/09/maxon-ends-perpetual-licences-of-red-giant-products/ \|title=Maxon ends perpetual licences of Red Giant products \|date=2021-09-17 \|website=CG Channel \|access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref>
	* In June 2025, Maxon acquired the team behind Autograph, a motion graphics application, as developer Left Angle shut down. The company's website and related channels went offline.<ref name="autograph-maxon">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.maxon.net/en/article/autograph-acquisition \|title=Maxon Welcomes Autograph Team Following Left Angle Transition \|date=2025-06-05 \|website=Maxon \|access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref><ref name="autograph-80lv">{{Cite web \|url=https://80.lv/articles/maxon-welcomes-autograph-team-following-left-angle-s-closure \|title=Autograph Team Joins Maxon As Left Angle Shuts Down \|date=2025-06-06 \|website=80.lv \|access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref> User reports indicated that license validation servers also became inaccessible, preventing some license holders from opening the software.<ref name="autograph-reddit">{{Cite web \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/MotionDesign/comments/1l4ofkf/maxon_acquires_leftangle_company_behind_the/ \|title=Maxon acquires LeftAngle, company behind the Autograph software. Locks out customers. \|website=Reddit \|date=2025-06-05 \|access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref>

	== Incidents ==		== Incidents ==

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	In September 2021, Maxon discontinued perpetual licenses for Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, and Magic Bullet Suite without advance announcement. CG Channel reported that the change was only apparent when perpetual license purchase options vanished from the Maxon online store. When contacted, Maxon confirmed that it had "decided to not offer a perpetual version of the individual suites."<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" /> Perpetual licenses of the previous versions remained available for $999, but the latest versions were accessible only via Red Giant Complete subscriptions at $79 per month or $599 per year, or via Maxon One subscriptions at $149 per month or $1,199 per year.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" />		In September 2021, Maxon discontinued perpetual licenses for Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, and Magic Bullet Suite without advance announcement. CG Channel reported that the change was only apparent when perpetual license purchase options vanished from the Maxon online store. When contacted, Maxon confirmed that it had "decided to not offer a perpetual version of the individual suites."<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" /> Perpetual licenses of the previous versions remained available for $999, but the latest versions were accessible only via Red Giant Complete subscriptions at $79 per month or $599 per year, or via Maxon One subscriptions at $149 per month or $1,199 per year.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" />

	~~=== Autograph acquisition and server shutdown ===~~

	In June 2025, the team behind Autograph, a motion graphics application developed by Left Angle, joined Maxon.<ref name="autograph-maxon" /> Concurrent with the acquisition, Left Angle wound down its business operations. A message from Left Angle posted on Maxon's website stated that "our website and all related channels will go offline."<ref name="autograph-maxon" /> Industry coverage from 80.lv noted that the acquisition details for the Autograph software itself remained unclear.<ref name="autograph-80lv" />

	A Reddit post in r/MotionDesign reported that users were unable to access Autograph after the acquisition because Left Angle's license validation servers had gone down during the business closure.<ref name="autograph-reddit" /> Alexandre and Francois, co-founders of Left Angle, posted a response in the same thread:

	<blockquote>''Let us say that it has been killing us that your service was interrupted when our license servers went down during the closing of our business. Let us also say that Maxon did not shut down our license server and discontinue the software -- they stepped into a difficult situation to help preserve a future for us.''</blockquote><ref name="autograph-reddit" />

	== Products ==		== Products ==
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	* [[Redshift]] renderer		* [[Redshift]] renderer
	* Forger (discontinued September 2025)		* Forger (discontinued September 2025)
	* Autograph
	* [[Maxon One]] subscription bundle		* [[Maxon One]] subscription bundle

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	INCIDENT_SCORE: ZBrush perpetual license elimination \| 80/100 \| Elimination of perpetual licenses after 20+ years of free upgrades, forced subscription		INCIDENT_SCORE: ZBrush perpetual license elimination \| 80/100 \| Elimination of perpetual licenses after 20+ years of free upgrades, forced subscription
	INCIDENT_SCORE: Red Giant perpetual license discontinuation \| 70/100 \| Silent discontinuation, forced obsolescence		INCIDENT_SCORE: Red Giant perpetual license discontinuation \| 70/100 \| Silent discontinuation, forced obsolescence
	~~INCIDENT_SCORE: Autograph acquisition and server shutdown \| 65/100 \| Server shutdown locking out license holders~~
	-->		-->

Louis: New article: Maxon Company page covering subscription licensing controversies and product discontinuations (via pipeline)

2026-05-14T12:11:26Z

New article: Maxon Company page covering subscription licensing controversies and product discontinuations (via pipeline)

New page

{{#seo:description=Maxon eliminates perpetual licenses for acquired products including ZBrush, Red Giant, and Forger, forcing subscriptions and locking users out of legacy files.}}

{{CompanyCargo
|Founded=1985
|Industry=Software,3D Modeling,Animation,Visual Effects
|Logo=
|ParentCompany=Nemetschek Group
|CompanyAlias=Maxon Computer GmbH
|Type=Subsidiary
|Website=https://maxon.net/
|Description=Eliminates perpetual licenses for acquired products and forces subscriptions; discontinued Forger app, locking users out of proprietary files.
}}

'''Maxon''' discontinued the iPad sculpting app [[Forger]] in September 2025, leaving subscribers unable to export proprietary files when subscriptions lapsed.<ref name="forger-cgchannel">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cgchannel.com/2025/07/maxon-discontinues-forger/ |title=Maxon discontinues Forger |date=2025-07 |website=CG Channel |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref><ref name="forger-manual">{{Cite web |url=https://learn.forger.app/ios-manual/licensing/ |title=Licensing - Forger Manual |website=Maxon |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref> The company has also eliminated perpetual licenses for [[ZBrush]] and [[Red Giant]], moving both to subscription-only models.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cgchannel.com/2023/11/maxon-releases-zbrush-2024/ |title=Maxon releases ZBrush 2024 |date=2023-11-16 |website=CG Channel |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref><ref name="redgiant-cgchannel">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cgchannel.com/2021/09/maxon-ends-perpetual-licences-of-red-giant-products/ |title=Maxon ends perpetual licences of Red Giant products |date=2021-09-17 |website=CG Channel |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref>

== Consumer-impact summary ==

* Maxon acquired Forger in 2021 and discontinued it on September 10, 2025. The app was removed from the App Store, and existing subscribers who let their subscriptions lapse lost the ability to save or export proprietary files.<ref name="forger-manual" /> ZBrush for iPad, the replacement Maxon recommended, did not natively support Forger's file format.<ref name="forger-faq">{{Cite web |url=https://www.maxon.net/en/forger-eos-faq |title=Forger End of Sale (EoS) FAQ |website=Maxon |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref> ZBrush for iPad cost $9.99 per month or $89.99 per year, roughly six times Forger's previous price of $1.99 per month or $14.99 per year.<ref name="forger-cgchannel" />
* Maxon acquired Pixologic, the developer of ZBrush, in December 2021.<ref name="zbrush-faq" /> In November 2023, Maxon released ZBrush 2024 exclusively via subscription at $39 per month or $359 per year, eliminating perpetual licenses that Pixologic had previously sold with free feature upgrades.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" />
* In September 2021, Maxon discontinued perpetual licenses for [[Red Giant]] plugin suites without advance announcement, leaving only subscription options for new versions of Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, and Magic Bullet Suite.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cgchannel.com/2021/09/maxon-ends-perpetual-licences-of-red-giant-products/ |title=Maxon ends perpetual licences of Red Giant products |date=2021-09-17 |website=CG Channel |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref>
* In June 2025, Maxon acquired the team behind Autograph, a motion graphics application, as developer Left Angle shut down. The company's website and related channels went offline.<ref name="autograph-maxon">{{Cite web |url=https://www.maxon.net/en/article/autograph-acquisition |title=Maxon Welcomes Autograph Team Following Left Angle Transition |date=2025-06-05 |website=Maxon |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref><ref name="autograph-80lv">{{Cite web |url=https://80.lv/articles/maxon-welcomes-autograph-team-following-left-angle-s-closure |title=Autograph Team Joins Maxon As Left Angle Shuts Down |date=2025-06-06 |website=80.lv |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref> User reports indicated that license validation servers also became inaccessible, preventing some license holders from opening the software.<ref name="autograph-reddit">{{Cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/MotionDesign/comments/1l4ofkf/maxon_acquires_leftangle_company_behind_the/ |title=Maxon acquires LeftAngle, company behind the Autograph software. Locks out customers. |website=Reddit |date=2025-06-05 |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref>

== Incidents ==

=== Maxon Forger discontinuation and subscription file lockout ===
{{Main|Maxon Forger discontinuation and subscription file lockout}}

Maxon acquired Forger, an iPad sculpting app originally released in 2011, in March 2021.<ref name="forger-acquisition-cgchannel">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cgchannel.com/2021/03/maxon-acquires-forger/ |title=Maxon acquires forger |date=2021-03 |website=CG Channel |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref> On September 10, 2025, Maxon placed Forger into what it termed "limited maintenance mode." The app was removed from the App Store, and no new updates or bug fixes were released.<ref name="forger-maxon">{{Cite web |url=https://www.maxon.net/en/article/forger-entering-limited-maintenance-mode |title=Forger Entering Limited Maintenance Mode |website=Maxon |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref> Existing subscribers could continue using the app until the end of their current subscription term, but could not renew after September 10, 2025.<ref name="forger-maxon" />

The free version of Forger imposed a three-document save limit and disabled all exporting, including sending files to Cinema 4D. According to Maxon's own documentation, files saved while a subscription was active could be opened in the free version, but could not be saved or exported.<ref name="forger-manual" /> Forger's native file format was not supported in ZBrush for iPad, the replacement Maxon recommended. Users who did not export their work in .goz or .obj format before their subscription expired would be unable to open their Forger files in ZBrush for iPad or export them to other formats.<ref name="forger-faq" />

ZBrush for iPad cost $9.99 per month or $89.99 per year as of July 2025, compared to Forger's previous price of $1.99 per month or $14.99 per year.<ref name="forger-cgchannel" />

=== ZBrush perpetual license elimination ===

Maxon finalized its acquisition of Pixologic, the developer of ZBrush, on December 29, 2021.<ref name="zbrush-faq">{{Cite web |url=https://www.maxon.net/en/zbrush-acquisition-faq |title=ZBrush Acquisition FAQ |website=Maxon |access-date=2026-05-13}}</ref> At that time, Maxon altered the end-user license agreement for new perpetual license purchases. Customers who bought perpetual licenses after December 29, 2021, would receive only bug fixes, not free feature upgrades. Customers who purchased perpetual licenses between December 30, 2020 and December 29, 2021 were grandfathered with a one-year update window.<ref name="zbrush-faq" />

In November 2023, Maxon released ZBrush 2024. The release was available exclusively via subscription. Perpetual licenses were no longer offered for the new version, and holders of existing perpetual licenses could not upgrade to ZBrush 2024.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" /> Subscription pricing was set at $39 per month or $359 per year.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" /> New features introduced in ZBrush 2024, including the Repeat to Similar system and Cinema 4D noise integrations, were available only to subscribers.<ref name="zbrush2024-cgchannel" />

=== Red Giant perpetual license discontinuation ===

Maxon merged with Red Giant, a developer of visual effects and color grading plugins. The merger added Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, Magic Bullet Suite, Universe, and PluralEyes to Maxon's product portfolio.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" />

In September 2021, Maxon discontinued perpetual licenses for Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, and Magic Bullet Suite without advance announcement. CG Channel reported that the change was only apparent when perpetual license purchase options vanished from the Maxon online store. When contacted, Maxon confirmed that it had "decided to not offer a perpetual version of the individual suites."<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" /> Perpetual licenses of the previous versions remained available for $999, but the latest versions were accessible only via Red Giant Complete subscriptions at $79 per month or $599 per year, or via Maxon One subscriptions at $149 per month or $1,199 per year.<ref name="redgiant-cgchannel" />

=== Autograph acquisition and server shutdown ===

In June 2025, the team behind Autograph, a motion graphics application developed by Left Angle, joined Maxon.<ref name="autograph-maxon" /> Concurrent with the acquisition, Left Angle wound down its business operations. A message from Left Angle posted on Maxon's website stated that "our website and all related channels will go offline."<ref name="autograph-maxon" /> Industry coverage from 80.lv noted that the acquisition details for the Autograph software itself remained unclear.<ref name="autograph-80lv" />

A Reddit post in r/MotionDesign reported that users were unable to access Autograph after the acquisition because Left Angle's license validation servers had gone down during the business closure.<ref name="autograph-reddit" /> Alexandre and Francois, co-founders of Left Angle, posted a response in the same thread:

<blockquote>''Let us say that it has been killing us that your service was interrupted when our license servers went down during the closing of our business. Let us also say that Maxon did not shut down our license server and discontinue the software -- they stepped into a difficult situation to help preserve a future for us.''</blockquote><ref name="autograph-reddit" />

== Products ==

* [[Cinema 4D]]
* ZBrush
* Red Giant plugin suites (Trapcode Suite, VFX Suite, Magic Bullet Suite, Universe, PluralEyes)
* [[Redshift]] renderer
* Forger (discontinued September 2025)
* Autograph
* [[Maxon One]] subscription bundle

== See also ==

* [[Subscription software licensing]]
* [[Digital rights management]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}



[[Category:Maxon]]
[[Category:Software Companies]]
[[Category:Subscription Licensing]]