Note to C-suite execs: Squeezing every last incremental dollar of profit for your shareholders can be a recipe for disaster that ends in your unceremonious departure. John Riccitiello found that out the hard way when he "retired" with immediate effect as chairman and CEO of a stock-listed company called Unity Technologies after spotting what he thought was a golden opportunity to make bank off his paying customers.

His explosive change in prices last month unleashed a torrent of f-bomb-spiked criticism from clients, many of whom were sent fleeing into the all-too-welcoming arms of Unity’s rivals. It marks a cautionary tale of how to shatter years spent building up trust and goodwill essentially overnight.

In a statement on Monday, the software developer managed to announce an emergency change at the very top of the company's leadership without so much as once explaining why Riccitiello retired so abruptly. After nearly a decade at the helm, his departure leaves the board scrounging for a new chief executive.

“Unity would not be where it is today without the impact of his contributions,” new chairman Roelof Botha said of his predecessor, while reaffirming to shareholders that the company's annual targets would not change.

Similar to the Unreal Engine developed by Fortnite publisher Epic, Unity provides the underlying backbone that enables video games to work at a basic level—everything from graphical lighting effects to the technology behind the physics of movement.

No game can function without one, but they are typically not seen as a unique selling point, and developing them yourself is prohibitively expensive. Even major publishers that once developed their own proprietary engines, such as The Witcher 3’s CD Projekt Red, have since abandoned them in favor of some form of licensing deal.

This frees up studios to focus on the more creative part of the development that can differentiate their product from the competition, such as a compelling story, interesting characters, and innovative gameplay.