Unity is parting ways with its controversial CEO following weeks of backlash from the game development community.
According to Unity, John Riccitiello has decided to retire and step down as company CEO, president, and chairman, effective immediately.
Unity didn’t offer an explanation for Riccitiello’s retirement. But the company’s reputation took a dive last month after announcing a controversial plan for customers of its game engine: On top of the existing licensing cost, software developers could face an additional fee each time their game was installed on a device.
The per-install-fee immediately faced a harsh reception from developers, especially since consumers can install a PC title multiple times on different devices, which would saddle game makers with more fees. The blowback was so bad that many developers announced they would switch to another game engine.
Meanwhile, some users condemned Riccitiello, who was previously chief executive at EA. During his time there, he reportedly floated the idea of charging Battlefield players an extra dollar to reload their guns while playing the game. “We’re not gouging, but we’re charging,” he said during a stockholders meeting in 2011.
Unity has since apologized and scaled back its plan to charge more fees for developers using the company’s game engine. Although Riccitiello is leaving the company under a cloud of public scorn, Unity lauded his contributions during his near decade-long tenure at the game engine provider.
“John has led Unity through incredible growth over the last nearly 10 years, helping us transition from a perpetual license to a subscription model,” noted Roelof Botha, who is taking over as Unity’s chairman. “Unity would not be where it is today without the impact of his contributions.”
To replace Riccitiello, Unity has tapped James Whitehurst, a former executive at IBM and Red Hat, to act as interim CEO. “The Board will initiate a comprehensive search process, with the assistance of a leading executive search firm, to identify a permanent CEO,” the company added. “Riccitiello will continue to advise Unity to ensure a smooth transition.”