John Riccitiello, the longtime CEO of Unity Technologies, is stepping down from his role amid backlash over a recently revised installment fee policy. Unity makes a popular game engine used by developers all around the globe, and Riccitiello has been the company's top exec for about ten years.

The company faced a major controversy last September when it announced a "Runtime Fee", a model that would charge game developers a fee each time their game - made using Unity's engine - gets downloaded, but only after it reaches a certain revenue and install count. The gamer and developer community didn't take this well, leading some developers to consider removing their games.

Unity tried to calm the waters, saying that the change would affect less than 10% of its customer base, but this didn't help much. Ultimately, the company backtracked on some elements of the policy, calming the storm to some degree. However, the initial announcement had already caused damage to Unity's reputation within the community.

Even though, in his time at Unity, Riccitiello has had several blunders. He once upset developers by calling those not using microtransactions "the biggest f*cking idiots." Prior to joining Unity in 2014, Riccitiello was CEO at gaming company EA.

As of now, James M. Whitehurst is appointed as the interim CEO and president, while Roelof Botha will be the new chairman of Unity Technologies. The company also mentioned it would commence searching for a permanent CEO soon. Even though Riccitiello is no longer serving those roles, he will continue advising Unity, to ensure a smooth transition.

Despite Riccitiello's exit, Unity's game engine remains essential in gaming, responsible for hit games like Pokémon Go and Genshin Impact. However, this latest incident has added to the challenges facing the company as it charts its future path.