ID@Azure brings more resources and cloud benefits to Game Creators

In March of this year, we launched ID@Azure, Microsoft’s new program that empowers independent studios and start-up game developers to take full advantage of the cloud to build and grow their games. As our program continues to grow and we hear from developers with more games in the pipeline, we’ve been thinking about what else we can do to better support game creators as they build and launch their games using the cloud.

We’re excited to share that ID@Azure is joining forces with Microsoft For Startups Founders  Hub. The Microsoft for Startups program provides an amazing collection of benefits that are highly complementary to those already offered by the ID@Azure program. If you are a qualifying game developer you now get access to the extensive benefits both programs have to offer, like additional development tools, increased amounts of Azure credits, free access to PlayFab services, and support and mentorship from Microsoft’s cloud experts.

Starting today, all members of ID@Azure are invited to apply for Founders Hub where qualifying members can receive a minimum of $1,000 of Azure credits and can unlock additional credits at their own pace up to a maximum of $150,000, a huge increase over the previous maximum of $5,000 in credits.

In addition to significantly increased levels of Azure credit, qualifying ID@Azure members can now enjoy free access to powerful development and productivity tools with their new Founders Hub membership. Some of the best-in-class developer tools available to you in this program include Visual Studio Enterprise, Github Enterprise, PowerBI Pro and Microsoft 365, including Outlook and Teams.

Moreover, Founders Hub members also get access to offers from Microsoft partners like online collaborative whiteboard platform Miro and OpenAI. Learn more about the full list of partner offers here. 

Developers who join Founders Hub are eligible for $1,000 of credits and three free months of an OpenAI API Innovation License. Creators interested in working with these tools can start building new products with OpenAI’s API which offers access to GPT-3, one of the most advanced language-based AI models in the world. If you have ever explored experiences like AI Dungeon or DALL·E you’ll have a sense of the potential of this technology.

We’ve created a process with the Founders Hub team that streamlines the application process for ID@Azure members.

• If you’re an existing ID@Azure member, you can apply to Founders Hub today by following the instructions on the ID@Azure Developer Hub.
• If you’re a game developer interested in working with Microsoft’s cloud services and taking advantage of the combined power of ID@Azure and Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, please join the ID@Azure program today at www.azure.com/id.

Since our launch during GDC, we’ve seen hundreds of developers sign up to ID@Azure and take their first steps with Azure and PlayFab. We’ve been delighted to have games like Turbo Golf Racing and You Suck at Parking! release successfully on Xbox Game Pass, as well as Homeworld Mobile which launched on phones and tablets.

We look forward to supporting many more game launches and titles in development as ID@Azure continues to grow. Over the coming months, the ID@Azure team will continue to look for ways to enhance their program offering and bring the best of Microsoft to game creators around the world.

Please note that eligibility criteria apply for Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub.