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Multiplayer decision guide
Photon Fusion vs PUN 2 for Game Creator 2
Choose the right Photon networking path for a new or existing Game Creator 2 project.
6 min readReviewed July 2026
The short version
Photon officially describes PUN 2 as a maintenance/LTS product and recommends that new projects consider Fusion or Quantum. Existing PUN 2 games continue to run, so a stable PUN project does not need a rewrite just for fashion.
Fusion is the forward-looking option. It supports Shared Authority, Client Host, and Dedicated Server topologies. Your topology changes authority, hosting cost, anti-cheat posture, and how you structure gameplay, so choose it before building core systems.
Side-by-side
| Question | Fusion | PUN 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Product direction | Active Photon networking stack for new projects | Maintenance/LTS; fixes continue, feature expansion is not planned |
| Authority choices | Shared, client-host, or dedicated server | Room and Master Client model familiar to long-running PUN projects |
| Best Ninjutsu fit | New projects; Fusion Stats and Fusion Factions paths | Existing PUN projects; widest current GC2 gameplay integration catalog |
| Migration cost | Best chosen at project start | Lowest when your project and team already use PUN |
| Dedicated hosting | Supported, but you provide the server hosting | Not the reason to start a new PUN project |
Choose Fusion when
- The project is new and you can choose the networking architecture now.
- You want Shared Authority, Client Host, or Dedicated Server options.
- Prediction, lag compensation, or an authoritative competitive architecture matters.
- Your required GC2 integrations are covered by Fusion, Fusion Stats, or Fusion Factions.
Choose PUN 2 when
- You already have a working PUN 2 project and migration would add risk without a product benefit.
- You need the current Photon Bundle integrations for Shooter, Melee, Inventory, Stats, Abilities, or Factions.
- Your team already understands PUN rooms, PhotonViews, RPCs, ownership, and Master Client behavior.
- You prefer the most documented Ninjutsu Games path today and accept PUN's maintenance status.
Recommended setup paths
| Project | Start with | Then add | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| New multiplayer game | Fusion + Game Creator 2 | Fusion Stats or Fusion Factions only when the gameplay needs them | View Fusion |
| Existing PUN game | Photon Module 2 + PUN 2 | Only the gameplay synchronization modules you use | View Photon Module 2 |
| Broad RPG/FPS feature set | Photon Bundle | Install the matching Game Creator modules listed as dependencies | View Photon Bundle |
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