Unity CEO John Riccitiello Retiring After Runtime Fee Controversy

Today Unity announced that former CEO John Riccitiello is stepping down from the position effective immediately. 

He's also leaving his roles as President, Chairman, and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors

He will be temporarily replaced by James M. "Jim" Whitehurst, who has worked as president of IBM since 2020. Roelof Botha, previously president and member of the Unity board of directors, has been appointed to chairman. 

Riccitiello will continue to advise Unity for a period to ensure a smooth transition, while the board will initiate a "comprehensive search process" to identify a permanent CEO.

This comes hot on the heels of a massive controversy initiated by a new pricing policy. Unity attempted to douse the fire with partial concessions but ultimately had to scrap the policy almost completely. 

Many developers reacted by arguing that Unity's move was too little too late, and Riccitiello's departure is likely another attempt to regain customer trust.

The press release includes a comment from Roelof Botha who has words of praise for Riccitiello on his departure.

Working with Unity under John's leadership has been one of the highlights of my career. John joined the Unity Board in 2013 and stepped in to lead the Company in 2014, at a time when we faced significant challenges.

John has led Unity through incredible growth over the last nearly 10 years, helping us transition from a perpetual license to a subscription model, enabling developers to monetize, building other game services to serve our creator community, leading us through an IPO and positioning us as a pioneer in the developer community. Unity would not be where it is today without the impact of his contributions. I remain excited for the future of Unity.

We also hear from Riccitiello himself.

It’s been a privilege to lead Unity for nearly a decade and serve our employees, customers, developers and partners, all of whom have been instrumental to the Company’s growth.

I look forward to supporting Unity through this transition and following the Company’s future success.

Lastly, we get a comment from Whitehurst.

I am honored to join Unity as Interim CEO and President at this important time in its evolution. With the Company’s experienced leadership and passionate employees, I am confident that Unity is well-positioned to continue enhancing its platform, strengthening its community of customers, developers and partners, and focusing on its growth and profitability goals.

I look forward to working closely with the Board and our talented global team to execute on our strategy, and I anticipate a seamless transition.