Hathora Migration: Gameye vs. GameFabric
- Matchmaker integrations: Gameye has native Pragma Engine and Nakama integrations. GameFabric has documented FlexMatch support. Both support custom matchmakers via API.
- SDK requirements: Gameye requires no SDK in your game server binary. GameFabric requires Agones SDK lifecycle calls (sdk.Ready, sdk.Allocate, sdk.Shutdown) in every build.
- Pricing: Gameye publishes pricing at $0.07/vCPU/hr with no egress fees. GameFabric requires a sales consultation — no public pricing.
- Migration: Both platforms are container-based. Your Docker images transfer. With Gameye, you remove the Hathora SDK and don’t replace it.
Matchmaker integrations
Section titled “Matchmaker integrations”Your game server platform sits downstream of your matchmaker. The handoff from “match ready” to “server running” is the most latency-sensitive moment in your player experience — and the integration most likely to break when you change platforms.
| Matchmaker | Gameye | GameFabric |
|---|---|---|
| Pragma Engine | Official ServerProviderPlugin | No documented integration |
| Nakama | Native Fleet Manager integration | No documented integration |
| AWS FlexMatch | Documented integration | Documented integration |
| Custom / homebrew | REST API — any matchmaker | HTTP allocator API |
If your game uses Pragma or Nakama, Gameye has native integrations that handle the allocation handoff without custom code. Both platforms support FlexMatch and custom matchmakers.
The Pragma case
Section titled “The Pragma case”Pragma Engine lists its supported game server platforms in its own documentation: Amazon GameLift, Multiplay, and Gameye. Gameye ships as an official ServerProviderPlugin — migrating means updating your Capacity Provider config, not rebuilding matchmaking architecture.
The Nakama case
Section titled “The Nakama case”Gameye implements Nakama’s Go runtime Fleet Manager interface natively. If you’re on a Hathora + Nakama stack, Gameye is a drop-in replacement for the server allocation layer.
SDK requirements
Section titled “SDK requirements”Gameye requires no SDK in your game server binary. Your server runs as a Docker container — it starts, listens on its port, and accepts connections. Gameye manages session lifecycle server-side.
GameFabric is built on Agones, which requires sdk.Ready(), sdk.Allocate(), and sdk.Shutdown() lifecycle calls in your game server binary. This is code in scope for every future build.
With Gameye, you remove the Hathora SDK and don’t replace it. With GameFabric, you replace it with the Agones SDK.
Direct comparison
Section titled “Direct comparison”| Gameye | GameFabric | |
|---|---|---|
| Game server SDK | None required | Agones SDK in every build |
| Pragma Engine | Official plugin | No documented integration |
| Nakama | Native Fleet Manager | No documented integration |
| FlexMatch | Documented | Documented |
| Infrastructure | 21 providers, 200+ datacenters | Nitrado network, 67+ locations |
| Container start time | 0.5 seconds | Not published |
| Pricing | $0.07/vCPU/hr, no egress | Not published — sales consultation |
| Uptime SLA | 99.99% | Not publicly stated |
| DDoS protection | Game-aware profiles across all providers | SteelShield (proprietary) |
| Observability | Real-time log streaming, Admin Panel, 3 months retention | Grafana + eBPF profiling |
| Failover | Automatic cross-provider | Single network (Nitrado) |
| Onboarding | Sandbox in 24 hours | Demo + consultation required |
| Sessions at scale | 120M+ sessions, 1M peak CCU | 80+ games on platform |
When to choose each platform
Section titled “When to choose each platform”Choose Gameye if you need:
- Drop-in Pragma Engine or Nakama compatibility
- No SDK in your game server binary
- Published pricing with no egress fees
- Multi-provider infrastructure with automatic failover
- Sub-second session starts
- Sandbox access without a sales call
Consider GameFabric if you have:
- An existing Agones or Kubernetes workflow
- FlexMatch as your primary matchmaker
- A team that works with Grafana and wants eBPF-level profiling
- A preference for a single, vertically integrated infrastructure provider
- No Pragma or Nakama matchmaker to preserve
Frequently Asked Questions
Section titled “Frequently Asked Questions”Is Gameye a good migration target if I’m on Hathora with Pragma Engine?
Yes. Gameye is an official Capacity Provider in Pragma Engine’s own codebase. Migrating from Hathora to Gameye means updating your Capacity Provider config — not rebuilding your matchmaking architecture.
Do both platforms support FlexMatch?
Yes. Gameye publishes a FlexMatch integration guide covering STANDALONE mode. GameFabric also has documented FlexMatch support.
What does Gameye cost?
Gameye charges $0.07/vCPU/hr with no egress fees. See the pricing page. GameFabric does not publish pricing.
Do I need a Gameye SDK in my game server?
No. Gameye requires no SDK in your game server binary. Remove the Hathora SDK and don’t replace it. Your server just starts, listens on its port, and accepts connections.
How hard is it to migrate from Hathora to Gameye?
Both platforms are container-based. Your Docker images work on Gameye with minimal changes. Studios have completed migrations in under two weeks. See the step-by-step migration guide.
Further reading on gameye.com: Hathora migration overview · Gameye vs. GameFabric · Gameye vs. Hathora · Matchmaker integrations · Pricing