Unity CEO John Riccitiello is leaving 'effective immediately'

Unity has announced that President, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors - John Riccitiello, is leaving "effective immediately". This follows on from the ridiculous pricing changes Unity tried recently, with the press release making no mention of it at all.

Riccitiello is no stranger to controversy who said some developers were "some of the biggest fucking idiots" in an interview with Pocket Gamer. Riccitiello was also EA CEO when they first launched loot boxes in FIFA 09, and even went as far as suggesting gamers would pay to reload their weapons in games like Battlefield. No doubt many will be happy to see Riccitiello leave. From the press release:

“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,” Mr. Riccitiello said. “I look forward to supporting Unity through this transition and following the Company’s future success.”

Perhaps under new leadership, Unity can begin to fix up their image.

James M. Whitehurst has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer, President and a member of the Board while the search process begins to find a new permanent CEO. Whitehurst was previously CEO at Red Hat and later President at IBM. Statement from the press release:

“I am honored to join Unity as Interim CEO and President at this important time in its evolution,” Mr. Whitehurst said. “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.”