- John Riccitiello is stepping down as CEO of Unity and will no longer serve on the board.
- James Whitehurst, former CEO of Red Hat, will become interim CEO of Unity.
- In September, Unity announced a controversial pricing change that angered developers who rely on the company’s technology to develop video games.
Unity Software CEO John Riccitiello speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2018 in San Francisco on September 5, 2018.
Steve Jennings | TechCrunch | Getty Images
Unity CEO John Riccitiello is stepping away from the gaming software company following a controversial pricing change that frustrated numerous developers.
Riccitiello, who has led Unity for nine years, will also step down as chairman and leave the board, the company said Monday.
James Whitehurst, former CEO of Red Hat, will become interim CEO of Unity. Sequoia Capital’s Roelof Botha, the lead independent director on Unity’s board, will become chairman of the company.
Unity said it will begin the search for a permanent CEO and Riccitiello “will continue to advise Unity to ensure a smooth transition.”
In September, Unity announced a pricing change that angered many developers who rely on the company’s technology to develop video games. A consortium of game developers protested the change, saying in a public letter that it “endangers small and large game developers alike” and was “made without any industry consultation.”
Unity ultimately changed its update to address developers after acknowledging the dissatisfaction and apologizing “for the confusion and concern that the term fee policy” caused.
“We are listening, talking to our team members, community, customers and partners and will make changes to the policy,” the company said at the time.
Unity went public in 2020 and was valued at $17 billion after its first day of trading. The company now has a market capitalization of just over $11 billion after its shares fell in 2022 along with a broader technology downturn.
“It has been a privilege to lead Unity for nearly a decade, serving our employees, customers, developers and partners, all of whom have been instrumental in the company’s growth,” Riccitiello said in a statement. “I look forward to supporting Unity in this transition and pursuing the company’s future success.”
Unity shares fell 1.5% to $29.70 at Monday’s close.
Regard: John Riccitello of Unity Software is retiring as president and CEO.