Guides › Can I ship it?
Can I use FLUX or Stable Diffusion images in a commercial game?
Short answer: It depends on the model, not on the image. FLUX.1 [schnell] (Apache 2.0), SDXL (CreativeML Open RAIL++-M) and the original Qwen-Image (Apache 2.0) can be used for commercial game art. FLUX [dev] models (FLUX.1 and FLUX.2 [dev]) are the trap: the licence says outputs can be used commercially, but the model itself may only be used for non-commercial purposes, and 'revenue-generating activity' isn't one. Developers read that both ways, so for art in a game you sell, the safe route is FLUX.1 [schnell], the BFL API, or a BFL self-hosted licence. Using FLUX through BFL's own API includes commercial rights. Stable Diffusion 3.5 is free under Stability's Community License while you and your affiliates earn under $1M a year, and you must register for commercial use. Qwen-Image-2.1 is research-only.
Checked 2026-10-17 against the official pages quoted below. Quotes are verbatim; anything we couldn't confirm is labelled. Not legal advice.
What the official terms say
"You may use Output for any purpose (including for commercial purposes), except as expressly prohibited herein."
"For clarity, use (a) for revenue-generating activity, (b) in direct interactions with or that has impact on end users, or (c) to train, fine tune, or distill other models for commercial use, in each case, is not a Non-Commercial Purpose."
"You may only access, use, Distribute, or create Derivatives of the FLUX [dev] Model or Derivatives for Non-Commercial Purposes."
"The simplest way to use FLUX commercially is through our API, where all usage includes full commercial rights with no separate license."
"Released under the apache-2.0 licence, the model can be used for personal, scientific, and commercial purposes."
"this Agreement preserves free access to the Models for people or organizations generating annual revenue of less than US $1,000,000 (or local currency equivalent)."
"If You are using or distributing the Stability AI Materials for a Commercial Purpose, You must register with Stability AI."
"As between You and Stability AI, You own any outputs generated from the Models or Derivative Works to the extent permitted by applicable law."
"Except as set forth herein, Licensor claims no rights in the Output You generate using the Model."
"Even though downstream derivative versions of the model could be released under different licensing terms, the latter will always have to include - at minimum - the same use-based restrictions as the ones in the original license (this license)."
"You shall not use the Materials for any commercial purpose without obtaining a separate commercial license from us."
"Qwen-Image is licensed under Apache 2.0."
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What it means for your game
- FLUX.1 [schnell]: Apache 2.0. Commercial use is fine, self-hosted or not.
- FLUX [dev] (FLUX.1 [dev], Kontext [dev], Krea [dev], FLUX.2 [dev]): the outputs clause allows commercial use 'except as expressly prohibited', but the model may only be used for Non-Commercial Purposes, which exclude 'revenue-generating activity'. Whether generating art for a game you sell counts as revenue-generating use of the model is disputed (unverified): BFL hasn't published a games-specific answer. The safe route is a BFL licence or the BFL API.
- Stable Diffusion 3.5 and other Stability Core Models: Community License: free under US $1M annual revenue (you plus affiliates, from any source), register for commercial use, and you own the outputs as far as the law allows. Above $1M you need an Enterprise licence. This also covers Stable Audio.
- SDXL 1.0: CreativeML Open RAIL++-M: Stability claims no rights in your outputs; you must follow the use restrictions in Attachment A. No revenue cap in the licence text.
- Qwen-Image: the original Qwen-Image is Apache 2.0. Qwen-Image-2.1 (Sep 2026) is under the Qwen Research License: research or evaluation only unless you get a commercial licence.
- LoRAs and fine-tunes: they inherit the base model's licence and can add their own terms. Check each model card before shipping art made with it.
- Hosted apps built on these models: if you use FLUX or SD inside Leonardo, Scenario, Retro Diffusion or another app, that app's terms decide commercial use (see the table).
- Copyright: a licence lets you use the art; it doesn't make purely AI-generated images copyrightable. See copyright by country.
Tool licences at a glance
Commercial use in a shipped game, from each vendor's own terms and pricing pages (dataset checked 2026-10-17).
| Tool | Free plan | Paid plans | Licence (paid) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo.Ai | no commercial use | commercial use allowed | Terms 8.3: on paid subscriptions, ownership of Content vests in you Details |
| Scenario | commercial use allowed | commercial use allowed | Same s.4.3 grant; pricing page: 'You own your generated assets. Use them commercially, sell them, modify them' Details |
| Retro Diffusion | commercial use allowed | commercial use allowed | Same: outputs owned by the generator Details |
| Recraft | no commercial use | commercial use allowed | Paid plans: full ownership and commercial rights, kept after cancelling Details |
| Stable Audio | conflicting vendor statements | commercial use allowed | Pricing page: 'Commercial license' on Solo, Session, Producer and Studio; enterprises with annual revenue over $1M deploying the models on their own infrastructure… Details |
| Hunyuan3D 2.1 (open weights) | commercial use allowed with conditions | n/a | n/a Details |
Store rules
| Store | AI disclosure | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Steam (Valve) | Required (pre-generated and live AI) | Disclose AI content that ships and is consumed by players (pre-generated), and describe guardrails for live-generated AI. Efficiency tools used during development are not the focus. |
| itch.io | Required for assets you sell/publish | Asset pages must complete the Generative AI disclosure (untagged AI assets lose browse indexing). Games are asked to tag accurately; classic game AI (pathfinding, procedural generation) needs no tag. |
Copyright where you sell
- United States: purely AI output not protected. Purely AI-generated material is not protected. Human-authored parts, creative selection/arrangement and creative modifications of AI output can be. The Supreme…
FAQ
Can I use FLUX.1 [dev] images in a commercial game?
Unclear (unverified), so play safe. The FLUX [dev] Non-Commercial License (updated Nov 25, 2025) lets you use outputs commercially 'except as expressly prohibited', but only allows using the model for Non-Commercial Purposes, and it says use for revenue-generating activity is not one. Developers disagree on whether making art for a sold game is such use. Use FLUX.1 [schnell], the BFL API, or a self-hosted licence from Black Forest Labs.
Is FLUX.1 [schnell] free for commercial use?
Yes. Black Forest Labs' model card says it's released under Apache 2.0 and can be used for personal, scientific and commercial purposes.
Can I use FLUX through the BFL API commercially?
Yes. BFL's licensing help page says all API usage includes full commercial rights with no separate licence.
Does FLUX.2 [dev] have the same licence as FLUX.1 [dev]?
Yes. The FLUX [dev] Non-Commercial License v2.0 lists FLUX.2 [dev] among the models it covers, along with FLUX.1 [dev], Kontext [dev] and Krea [dev].
Can I use Stable Diffusion XL (SDXL) for game assets?
Yes, within the CreativeML Open RAIL++-M use restrictions. The licence says Stability claims no rights in the output you generate, and it has no revenue cap.
Do I need a licence for Stable Diffusion 3.5 in a commercial game?
Under US $1M annual revenue (you and your affiliates), the Stability AI Community License is free, but you must register with Stability AI for commercial use. Above $1M the licence ends and you need an Enterprise licence.
Can I use Qwen-Image for commercial game art?
The original Qwen-Image is Apache 2.0, so yes. Qwen-Image-2.1 is under the Qwen Research License (released Sep 20, 2026): no commercial use without a separate commercial licence.
Do LoRAs and fine-tunes change the licence?
They can only add restrictions. SDXL's licence says derivative models must keep at least its use restrictions, and Stability's Community License treats LoRAs as Derivative Works under the same terms. Check each LoRA's model card.
What about FLUX or Stable Diffusion inside Leonardo, Scenario or other apps?
The app's own terms decide what you can do with the output, whatever model runs underneath. Check the app's commercial-use page.
Sources
- https://bfl.ai/legal/non-commercial-license-terms
- https://help.bfl.ai/articles/9272590838-self-serve-dev-license-overview-pricing
- https://huggingface.co/black-forest-labs/FLUX.1-schnell
- https://stability.ai/community-license-agreement
- https://huggingface.co/stabilityai/stable-diffusion-xl-base-1.0/blob/main/LICENSE.md
- https://huggingface.co/Qwen/Qwen-Image-2.1/blob/main/LICENSE
- https://huggingface.co/Qwen/Qwen-Image
- https://stability.ai/license
- https://bfl.ai/licensing
Related: Can I use ChatGPT images commercially in a game? · Can I use Midjourney art in a Steam game? · Does Steam allow AI-generated art? · Can I copyright a game made with AI? · Can I ship it? checker · AI rules by store · Commercial use by tool
Cite this page
Asset Forge Index, "Can I use FLUX or Stable Diffusion images in a commercial game?", https://assetforgeindex.com/guides/flux-stable-diffusion-commercial-use, checked 2026-10-15. Quote this page with a link. Our tool data is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (data licence). Machine-readable versions are listed in llms.txt.