Following the massive backlash and controversy surrounding Unity over the past half year, Unity officially elects a new CEO. Read on to learn more about the change as well as the background of the new game engine boss.
Unity Appoints New Official CEO Following Months of Backlash
Executive Step in a New Direction
Unity has officially announced Matthew Bromberg as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), President, and a member of the Board of Directors starting on May 15, 2024. The interim CEO, Jim Whitehurst, will step down from the role and has now been appointed to the Executive Chair position on Unity’s board.
Unity welcomes Bromberg as CEO, citing that the company is confident in his "proven leadership, customer-first mindset, and deep understanding of the dynamic gaming industry," which makes him the right choice as the new captain of the ship. Unity also thanked Whitehurst for holding the company together following the resignation of previous CEO John Riccitello saying, "[We] also want to thank Jim Whitehurst for leading Unity through its portfolio reset and cost structure rightsizing to focus on its core businesses and help position the Company for long-term success."
Bromberg was formerly the group general manager of BioWare, before taking on the mantle of being responsible for EA’s mobile business for four years before leaving in July 2016. Afterwards, he became the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the popular mobile game development and publishing company, Zynga, where he stayed until 2022.
"I am thrilled to join Unity as it embraces its next chapter," said Bromberg. "I look forward to working with Jim, the Board, and the incredible people of Unity to provide the best integrated platform for creators to bring great games and experiences to their audiences globally while also helping accelerate the Company’s revenue growth and profitability."
Following Backlash Regarding Monetization and Layoffs
This news follows the past decision that Unity made to rework and overhaul its monetization plan, which caused a lot of controversy and led to widespread community backlash. This forced them to backtrack on their decision and rethink their strategy for the subscription plans. They have also previously announced that they were planning to lay off approximately 1,800 employees, or 25% of their workforce, during the first quarter of 2024. The company will also be releasing its financial report for the first quarter of 2024 on May 9, 2024.
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Unity Appoints Matthew Bromberg as New CEO