Candy Crush creator Riccardo Zacconi will step down as CEO of King on July 1

Riccardo Zacconi, the creator of the Candy Crush games, will step down as CEO of game developer King Digital Entertainment on July 1. He will continue to serve as chairman of the board. This is according to a published agreement with parent company Activision Blizzard.

Zacconi was a founding member of King Digital Entertainment and took over at the helm of the company in March 2003. In 2016, the game developer was acquired by Activision Blizzard for 5.27 billion euros. As a result of the transaction, it became owner of the Zacconi-developed Candy Crush franchise, one of the most successful mobile games ever.

Riccardo Zacconi. Photo: King.com

The mandatory registration of Zacconi’s amended contract with Activision Blizzard states that the Italian will exchange his position of CEO for that of chairman on July 1. In that capacity, he will advise both King’s management and that of the parent company. Zacconi receives a basic salary of more than 110,000 euros per year plus a profit distribution of one percent according to the King Profit Sharing Plan.