YoYo Games launched GameMaker Studio 2 on macOS this week, bringing the popular multiplatform 2D game development engine to the Mac for the first time. To date, the GameMaker Studio family of products has been downloaded more than 10 million times since 2012 and currently has 200,000 monthly active users, according to the developers.

The Scotland-based outfit originally launched GameMaker Studio 2 on the PC in March and has since been working hard to bring the game creation suite to a wider subset of developers, ensuring every major upgrade and feature addition is preserved in the macOS version.

GameMaker  Studio 2 1

"We worked tirelessly to ensure GameMaker Studio 2's Mac debut would coincide with the needs of game developers that prefer to use platforms outside of Windows and home consoles," said James Cox, general manager, YoYo Games. "After months carefully considering the feedback we received from beta testing and direct community outreach, we're confident that developers who prefer Mac can now feasibly create games on the often-ignored platform. We're always looking for ways to expand game creation to as many developers as possible, and we know Mac users will make some stand-out games with these resources."

The new, fully customizable Mac Integrated Development Environment (IDE) includes an object editor for structuring workflow, a tabbed script editor, drag and drop features to enable game creation without going near code, an extensive library of events and actions, and code preview tools for those who want to take their games to the next level using the GameMaker programming language (based on C).

GameMaker  Studio 2 4
The suite also features a room editor where layers and tile brushes are on hand to control objects and sprites, and a new brush-based image editor with animation support for creating new assets for games.

Elsewhere, there's built-in support for the industry recognized Box2D physics engine or Google's LiquidFun particle physics engine, support for Esoteric Software's 2D animation software that bring games to life through integrated animation, and integrated cross-platform shader support.

GameMaker  Studio 2 3
Timed with the macOS launch, GameMaker Studio 2 is also receiving a comprehensive update with new features and quality-of-life improvements. The 2.1 version update introduces code-folding features that allow users to hide and expand sections of code for easier editing, a new integrated debugger, customizable workspace layouts, and multi-touch support for coding on the go on Mac laptops.

While GameMaker 2 has a very high skill ceiling, Cox claimed the product is for all levels of developer, being used in schools and purchased by children as young as eight who use the drag and drop features to turn their ideas into playable games.

GameMaker  Studio 2 2

GameMaker Studio is a 2D game design platform, but what makes it different is its breadth of application. The drag and drop design features provide beginners with a way into game design without having to become coders first, so the passion that got them into game design isn't extinguished under a mountain of programming learning; that can come later. The drag and drop approach, creates real code that gives granular control, in our C based GameMaker Language (GML), to more experienced developers. For more established Indies and Studios, our workflow is what sets up apart. It's really quick to get results with GameMaker, as we remove the repetition, and they can turn their games into amazing audio-visual experiences with our advanced graphic design and sound-mixing functionality.

GameMaker Studio 2 can be purchased for Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu for $100 on the YoYo Games website

Top Rated Comments

Telos101 Avatar
103 months ago
Remember Hotline Miami? Great game. Made on GameMaker, I believe.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Janichsan Avatar
103 months ago
The one thing stopping Swift from being in GameMaker is the lack of Windows and Android ports.
Does ('https://swiftforwindows.github.io') it ('http://www.scade.io')?

Since Swift is Open Source, it's just a matter of dedication.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
garirry Avatar
103 months ago
Glad this is finally getting a Mac release, we haven't seen one since GM7 god knows how long ago. I've tried GMS2 while it was in beta and it definitely was an improvement over the previous versions, but it's still a ridiculously inefficient engine. It's great for beginners, but if you're going to make something serious with it, it's going to be difficult.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
garirry Avatar
103 months ago
Does anyone know if Hotline Miami 2 was made with GMS2? If anything, the original shows what can be done with it.
Hotline Miami was made in Game Maker 7 but then was remade in a completely different engine. HM2 was never made using Game Maker, and it was released years before Studio 2 even came out.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Air Colors Thumb 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air Rumored to Come in These 9 Colors

Friday July 11, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia. The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3: What to Expect

Sunday July 13, 2025 10:30 am PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 is nearly over, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the Apple Watch Ultra 3:Satellite connectivity for sending and receiving text messages when Wi-Fi and cellular coverage is unavailable 5G support, up from LTE on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 Likely a wide-angle OLED display that ...