Steve Collins, the Chief Technology Officer of game engine company Unity, has stepped down from his role after only six months on the job. A company spokesperson confirmed the departure, adding that Collins made the decision to leave for personal reasons.
Prior to his brief tenure at Unity, Collins served as CTO at King, the well-known mobile-game developer behind the hugely successful Candy Crush franchise. When he joined Unity, he was expected to play a key role in the company’s ongoing technological transformation.
In acknowledging his departure, Unity expressed gratitude for Collins’ contributions, noting, “We’re grateful for his contributions. As we continue our transformation, we’re confident our world-class tech team will keep driving the strategy forward.”
Unity has grappled with significant internal challenges over recent years. In late 2023, the company stirred controversy by introducing new pricing models, sparking outrage among game developers. Although Unity rolled back some of these changes, the backlash led indirectly to the resignation of then-CEO John Riccitiello. Shortly thereafter, Unity implemented severe workforce reductions, laying off about 25% of its staff, approximately 1,800 positions.
Despite some time and changes having passed since these setbacks, lingering mistrust remains within parts of the game developer community. Although the company has stated that Collins’ decision to step down was unrelated to previous challenges, the departure of yet another executive may prove disruptive in Unity’s efforts to stabilize and move forward.
