Unity CEO John Riccitiello resigns after nearly a month of self-inflicted corporate drama

October 10, 2023 9:00 AM

It probably won’t come as a shock, but after all the Unity drama sparked almost exactly a month ago, Unity CEO John Riccitiello is stepping down from his role at the company.

Readers will recall that in September, Unity abruptly and unilaterally announced retroactive per-install fees for games using (and in many cases already paying for) Unity, with some eyebrowing-raising conditions, including “trust me, bro” on counting up those installs. There followed several weeks of developer boycotts, nonpologies, support for indie engines, death threats, employee resignations, and several rounds of concessions that did not entirely roll back the plan but did at least address some of its most offensive chunks.

Either way, the public and industry backlash was so severe that it impacted the stock, and it seemed clear at the time that someone’s proverbial head would be offered up eventually. Now we know it’s Riccitiello, who’s never been a popular figure in the games industry and certainly hasn’t gotten more popular since taking on the mantle at Unity.

“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,” he said. “I look forward to supporting Unity through this transition and following the company’s future success.” The company is now on the hunt for a replacement.