GameMaker 2024.8 is here, bringing a vast number of stability fixes and performance improvements.

This page will highlight a few key changes, but a much fuller list of the important fixes and improvements is on the Release Notes page for 2024.8.

IDE changes

There have been several fixes for IDE performance issues, such as stutters when moving windows or writing code. If you do still notice freezes in this release, please create a new bug report and ensure you provide detailed steps on what you were doing when the stutters occurred and also allow the IDE bug reporter to attach your project.

The “Help” -> “Create Your Contact Us Package” option has been changed to “Upload a Bug/Ticket Sample”. This previously created a .zip file for you to upload manually, however now it automatically does the upload and gives you a link you can easily paste somewhere, e.g. the comments of your existing bug report. The uploaded package is private and only accessible by GameMaker staff.

Runtime Changes

This release adds runtime functions for Flex Panels. This helps calculate layout data for creating user interfaces and is a backbone for the upcoming GUI layer feature. You can read about the functions here.

There are new functions for GPU scissor regions. You can set a rectangular region temporarily which will restrict all drawing to that region, essentially cropping whatever you have drawn.

Android developers can now use Android Studio Koala and the current version of the Gradle tools (note that this may require you to modify your SDK install, so ensure that you see the Android section of the Required SDKs FAQ first!)

iOS developers can now specify languages that are supported by the app which will appear on the store page.

A new function dbg_sprite_button() creates a button within a Debug View that displays a sprite and executes a function on being clicked.

You can now set a connection timeout for HTTP requests.

Again, you can read lots more about the headline changes and find the milestone link on the Release Notes page for 2024.8.

Happy GameMaking!

Written by Gurpreet S. Matharoo

Lead Technical Writer at GameMaker, Gurpreet creates documentation and tutorials to make game making easier for you. He loves using the computer to bring new things to life, whether it's games, digital art, or Metal music.