Louis: New article: Maxon Forger discontinuation and subscription file lockout (via pipeline)

2026-05-13T23:22:43Z

New article: Maxon Forger discontinuation and subscription file lockout (via pipeline)

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{{#seo:description=Maxon discontinued Forger and stopped subscription renewals, leaving subscribers unable to export or save project files stored in a native format unsupported by any other application.}}

{{IncidentCargo
|Company=Maxon
|StartDate=2025-07-04
|EndDate=2025-09-10
|Status=Resolved
|ProductLine=
|Product=Forger
|ArticleType=Product
|Type=Planned Obsolescence,Data Access Restriction
|Description=Maxon discontinued its iPad sculpting app Forger and stopped subscription renewals, causing subscribers who lost export and save access to project files stored in a native format unsupported by any other application
}}

'''Maxon Forger''' was a 3D sculpting application for iPad that [[Maxon]] discontinued on September 10, 2025.<ref name="maxon-maintenance">{{Cite web |url=https://www.maxon.net/en/article/forger-entering-limited-maintenance-mode |title=Forger Entering Limited Maintenance Mode |date=July 4, 2025 |publisher=Maxon |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref> When the app was removed from the [[Apple App Store]], existing subscribers could not renew their subscriptions.<ref name="maxon-maintenance" /> Upon lapse, the application reverted to a restricted free tier that allowed users to open existing project files but blocked both saving changes and exporting geometry to standard formats.<ref name="forger-licensing">{{Cite web |url=https://learn.forger.app/ios-manual/licensing/ |title=Forger for iOS Reference Manual: Licensing |publisher=Maxon |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref> Because Forger stored projects in a native file format that no other application supports, users who had not exported their work before their subscription ended could not migrate their data to another program.<ref name="maxon-faq">{{Cite web |url=https://www.maxon.net/en/forger-eos-faq |title=Forger End of Sale (EoS) FAQ |publisher=Maxon |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref><ref name="digitalproduction">{{Cite web |url=https://digitalproduction.com/2025/07/08/maxon-sunsets-forger-ipad-sculptors-get-the-maintenance-axe/ |title=Maxon Sunsets Forger: iPad Sculptors Get the (Maintenance) Axe |author=Bela Beier |date=July 8, 2025 |publisher=Digital Production |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref>

== Background ==

Forger was created by VFX TD Javier Edo and first released in 2011 as one of the earliest dedicated 3D sculpting apps for iPad.<ref name="cgchannel-discontinues">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cgchannel.com/2025/07/maxon-discontinues-forger/ |title=Maxon discontinues Forger |author=Jim Thacker |date=July 6, 2025 |publisher=CG Channel |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref> Maxon acquired the application in March 2021.<ref name="cgchannel-acquires">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cgchannel.com/2021/03/maxon-acquires-forger/ |title=Maxon acquires Forger |publisher=CG Channel |date=March 2021 |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref> After the acquisition, Maxon added a freemium option with subscription tiers.<ref name="slatepad">{{Cite web |url=https://slatepad.org/forger-ipad-discontinued-zbrush/ |title=Forger for iPad Is Being Discontinued, Pushing Sculptors Toward ZBrush |author=Riley Hill |date=July 12, 2025 |publisher=SlatePad |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref>

The free tier imposed two restrictions that became consequential after discontinuation. Users could save no more than three scenes; starting a fourth required deleting an existing file or subscribing.<ref name="forger-licensing" /> Exporting any scene also required an active subscription, including exports to [[Cinema 4D|Cinema 4D]].<ref name="forger-licensing" /> The standalone subscription cost $1.99 per month or $14.99 per year.<ref name="cgchannel-discontinues" /> Forger was also included in Maxon One bundles.<ref name="forger-licensing" />

Maxon's own reference manual described the subscription-lapse behavior explicitly:

<blockquote>''Files that were saved while a subscription was active can be opened and edited, but cannot be saved in Free mode.''</blockquote><ref name="forger-licensing" />

This meant that when a subscription expired, a user could still view existing projects and make temporary edits, but could not save modifications or export the geometry to standard interoperable formats.<ref name="forger-licensing" />

== Discontinuation and file access restrictions ==

On July 4, 2025, Maxon announced that Forger would enter "Limited Maintenance Mode" on September 10, 2025.<ref name="maxon-maintenance" /> From that date forward, the app would no longer be available for purchase or download on the App Store and subscription renewals would no longer be possible.<ref name="maxon-maintenance" /> The company stated there would no longer be any updates, bug fixes, or changes to the software.<ref name="maxon-faq" /> Existing subscribers could continue using the app until the end of their then-current billing period, and technical support would remain available until September 10, 2025 or the end of the subscription term, whichever came first.<ref name="maxon-faq" />

The cutoff prevented any subscriber from maintaining an active subscription past their existing billing period.<ref name="maxon-maintenance" /> Maxon's announcement explicitly stated that "Subscription licenses of Forger can be renewed only until September 10th, 2025."<ref name="maxon-maintenance" /> RevenueCat, a subscription-management platform, confirmed that when a developer removes an auto-renewable subscription from sale in App Store Connect, "existing subscribers won't be able to renew this subscription" and the entitlement expires at the end of the current paid period.<ref name="revenuecat">{{Cite web |url=https://community.revenuecat.com/general-questions-7/is-it-safe-to-delete-subscriptions-in-app-store-connect-5817 |title=Is it safe to delete subscriptions in App Store Connect? |publisher=RevenueCat Community |date=January 30, 2025 |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref>

Once a subscriber's Forger entitlement lapsed, the app reverted to the free tier. The user retained visual access to locally stored project files but lost the ability to export them.<ref name="forger-licensing" /> Because the native Forger file format is unsupported in ZBrush, Cinema 4D, or any third-party application, a user who had not exported their work before the subscription ended had no migration path.<ref name="maxon-faq" /><ref name="digitalproduction" />

=== Maxon's response ===

Maxon directed Forger users to ZBrush for iPad as the replacement.<ref name="maxon-faq" /> ZBrush for iPad launched on September 10, 2024, exactly one year before the Forger cutoff.<ref name="cgchannel-zbrush">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cgchannel.com/2024/09/maxon-releases-zbrush-for-ipad/ |title=Maxon releases ZBrush for iPad |publisher=CG Channel |date=September 2024 |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref> ZBrush for iPad costs $9.99 per month or $89.99 per year, compared to Forger's $14.99 annual subscription.<ref name="cgchannel-discontinues" /> Maxon merged the Forger development team into the ZBrush for iPad team and stated that the consolidation would allow the company to:
<blockquote>''leverage Forger's history on iPad and ZBrush's sculpting capabilities to introduce more features and innovations.''</blockquote><ref name="maxon-faq" />

Maxon offered no migration path for Forger format files. The company's FAQ stated that Forger format files are "not specifically supported in ZBrush" and advised users to export OBJ or GoZ files.<ref name="maxon-faq" /> Press coverage noted that layers, mesh data, and certain effects might not transfer cleanly, particularly for complex projects.<ref name="digitalproduction" />

A Reddit user on r/ZBrush reported in September 2024 that the app "crashes every few minutes, it doesn't even get a chance to auto save."<ref name="reddit-crash">{{Cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/ZBrush/comments/1fjdy5g/ipadpro_6th_gen_crashing_constantly/ |title=iPadPro 6th gen crashing constantly |publisher=Reddit r/ZBrush |date=September 2024 |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref> Maxon's April 15, 2026 release notes for ZBrush 2026.2.0 acknowledged that crashes on document export, welding points, and ZModeler preset deletion had been ongoing issues that the update addressed.<ref name="zbrush-release">{{Cite web |url=https://support.maxon.net/hc/en-us/articles/15780513877788-ZBrush-2026-2-0-Release-Notes-April-15-2026 |title=ZBrush 2026.2.0 Release Notes (April 15, 2026) |publisher=Maxon |date=April 15, 2026 |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref>

== Consumer response ==

On October 8, 2023, a Reddit user in r/sculpting articulated the same frustration that would later affect subscribers after the 2025 discontinuation, asking for alternatives after discovering that Forger would not allow export without payment.<ref name="reddit-sculpting">{{Cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/sculpting/comments/173a8wp/3d_app_for_free/ |title=3D app for free? |publisher=Reddit r/sculpting |date=October 8, 2023 |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref>

Industry press coverage highlighted the forced migration and price increase. Digital Production's article on July 8, 2025, stated that "Maxon has now nailed the Forger coffin shut" and warned that "Forger's native file format is not supported anywhere else, not even in Cinema 4D."<ref name="digitalproduction" /> SlatePad framed the transition as a push toward ZBrush.<ref name="slatepad">{{Cite web |url=https://slatepad.org/forger-ipad-discontinued-zbrush/ |title=Forger for iPad Is Being Discontinued, Pushing Sculptors Toward ZBrush |author=Riley Hill |date=July 12, 2025 |publisher=SlatePad |access-date=May 13, 2026}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Maxon]]
[[Category:Forger]]
[[Category:Software Discontinuation]]
[[Category:Subscription Trap]]
[[Category:Data Access Restriction]]
[[Category:Planned Obsolescence]]
[[Category:Right to Repair]]

Maxon Forger discontinuation and subscription file lockout - Revision history

Louis: New article: Maxon Forger discontinuation and subscription file lockout (via pipeline)