A franchise without royalty is one where the franchisor does not take a percentage of your sales. Metaforce VR Arena works this way: instead of a franchise fee and royalties, partners pay a flat subscription for the games and support, from $4,990 for 6 months, then $799 per month, taxes included. Your payment to us does not change when your revenue grows, so every additional booking stays with you.
What is a royalty, and why do most franchises charge one?
In a classic franchise, the owner usually pays three kinds of fees:
- An initial franchise fee, paid once for the right to open under the brand.
- A royalty, an ongoing percentage of gross revenue, often paid monthly for the whole life of the contract.
- A marketing or advertising fund contribution, also often a percentage of revenue.
Royalties fund the franchisor's ongoing work: brand, support, product development. The logic is that the franchisor earns more when you earn more. The downside for the owner is just as simple: the more successful your location becomes, the more you pay, and the payment is calculated on revenue, not profit, so it is due even in a month when your margins are thin.
How does the subscription franchise model work at Metaforce?
In a subscription franchise model, you pay a fixed amount for a defined package, the same way you would pay for software. At Metaforce the package is the content and know-how needed to run a free-roam VR arena.
| Term | Price (taxes included, paid upfront) | After the term |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | $4,990 | Another term or $799/month |
| 12 months (most popular) | $7,990 | Another term or $799/month |
| 24 months | $14,990 | Another term or $799/month |
What you do not pay:
- No franchise fee.
- No royalty and no share of revenue.
- No marketing fee.
- No penalties in the contract.
What the subscription includes: five free-roam multiplayer games with maps rebuilt around your venue layout, new maps and games every 6 months, launch support and staff training, a manager, a knowledge base (equipment setup, cash handling, staff routines, CRM, headset care), a website, the network CRM and a marketing kit.
The venue, renovation and equipment are paid by you separately, and you can buy headsets, computers and tracking from any supplier. The full budget is laid out on the VR franchise cost page.
Royalty vs subscription: a worked example
The figures below are a hypothetical example. We assume a royalty of 6% of gross revenue plus a 2% marketing fund contribution, chosen purely for illustration, and compare it with the Metaforce fee of $799 per month after the first term. The revenue levels are round illustrative numbers, not forecasts for any arena.
| Monthly gross revenue (illustrative) | Hypothetical royalty, 6% | Hypothetical royalty + marketing, 8% | Metaforce subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $600 | $800 | $799 |
| $20,000 | $1,200 | $1,600 | $799 |
| $40,000 | $2,400 | $3,200 | $799 |
Two things follow from this example:
- The break-even point. At a 6% royalty, a venue pays more than $799 per month as soon as its revenue passes about $13,300 a month ($799 / 0.06). At 8%, the point drops to about $10,000.
- The gap grows with success. Over a year at $20,000 per month, the hypothetical 8% model costs $19,200, while the 12-month Metaforce subscription costs $7,990. At $40,000 per month, it would be $38,400 against the same $7,990.
Use your own expected revenue and the actual terms of any franchise you compare. The point is not the exact numbers but the structure: a percentage scales with your sales, a subscription does not.
Is a franchise without royalty always the better deal?
Not automatically. Be clear about the trade-offs before you choose:
- You pay in quiet months too. A royalty shrinks when sales fall; a subscription does not, and the chosen term is paid upfront. Keep working capital for the first months and for seasonal dips.
- Access depends on the subscription. If you stop paying, access to the games, the Metaforce brand, the website and the CRM stops; only your own equipment stays with you. When a term ends, you can buy another fixed term or continue month to month at $799, and after a break you can renew the subscription later.
- You run the business. We provide games, training, tools and support, but local sales, staff and service are yours. That is also why we do not take a share of the result.
- Upfront costs are still real. No franchise fee does not mean a free start: venue, renovation and equipment are on you. In Russia, owners typically invest from RUB 2.5 million, with monthly revenue of RUB 500,000–1,500,000 depending on city, venue and occupancy, and payback from about one year.
Why does Metaforce use a subscription instead of royalties?
Metaforce develops its own games and runs two arenas of its own in Yekaterinburg, where every update is tested before it reaches partners. What we sell is a product, the games and the system for running an arena, so we charge for it as a product. Partners get predictable costs, and we have to keep the content good enough that they renew. New maps and games every 6 months are part of that deal.
Today Metaforce games run in about 30 arenas in Russia, Kazakhstan, Israel and Slovakia: 21 Metaforce-branded arenas and 10 partners who run our games under their own brand. That second option also suits existing VR arenas that want new content without joining a royalty-based brand.
Who is looking for entertainment franchise opportunities without royalties?
Interest in franchises without royalty fees is global. We see search demand for this from many markets, including India, where "franchise without royalty fee" is a common query. Metaforce partners currently operate in four countries; if you are elsewhere, apply and our manager will tell you honestly whether and how a launch in your country can work.
The model typically fits:
- Family entertainment center owners adding a multiplayer attraction.
- Shopping mall owners who want an entertainment anchor with group and birthday traffic.
- Investors comparing entertainment franchise opportunities on total cost of ownership.
- Existing VR arcades replacing or expanding their content.
To see how different VR brands structure their fees, read our VR franchise comparison, and for the format itself, our free-roam VR guide.
FAQ
Is Metaforce really a franchise without royalty?
Yes. Partners pay a flat subscription for games and support. There is no royalty, no revenue share, no franchise fee and no marketing fee.
What is a subscription franchise model?
It is a franchise where you pay a fixed fee for a defined package of product and support, instead of an upfront fee plus a percentage of your revenue.
How much is the Metaforce subscription?
$4,990 for 6 months, $7,990 for 12 months or $14,990 for 24 months, paid upfront, taxes included. When the term ends, you can buy another fixed term or continue month to month at $799.
Do you offer a franchise without royalty fee in India?
Our partners currently operate in Russia, Kazakhstan, Israel and Slovakia. Send an application from any country and we will discuss whether a launch in your market is possible; we do not promise availability in advance.
What happens if I stop paying the subscription?
Access to the games, the Metaforce brand, the website and the CRM stops. Your equipment stays yours, there are no penalties, and you can renew the subscription later.
Can an existing VR arena join without rebranding?
Yes. Ten partner arenas in the network run Metaforce games under their own brand.