Former EA CEO John Riccitiello Named Top Exec at Game Engine Company Unity

Cross-platform game engine company Unity Technologies today announced that its CEO and founder, David Helgason, has stepped down from his role as chief executive. Taking over for him is former Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello, who left the Battlefield publisher in May 2013.

"This is an amazing win for Unity and the community," Helgason said in a statement. "He's the right person to help guide the company to the mission that we set out for ourselves over a decade ago: democratize game development!"

Riccitiello was previously a member of the board of directors at Unity. Helgason founded Unity in 2003 and had served as its CEO until today.

Now that Riccitiello has taken over the CEO job a Unity, Helgason said he will transition to a role where he works on strategy and establishing relationships with developers. He will remain "heavily involved" with Unity's direction, he said.

Helgason went on to say that Riccitiello's appointment to CEO of Unity won't change the company's trajectory. "If anything it means that we'll be more focused than ever about making sure everyone has access to the best technology and services," he said. "We want all of you to have the best tools and opportunities, and we're going to do everything we can to make that happen across the board."

Unity is an officially supported engine for a range of mobile and console platforms, including iOS and Android, as well as PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U. The company has over 3.3 million registered developers, according to data posted on its website. Games such as Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Wasteland 2 and Temple Run 2, among many others, run on the Unity engine.

Riccitiello becomes Unity's CEO as rumors swirl that the company might be looking to sell.