The departure of Stefano Casillo from Kunos Simulazioni, quietly finalized at the end of 2025, became a topic of discussion within the sim racing community weeks later as the studio continued development of Assetto Corsa EVO.
In a recent livestream, the programmer and studio co-founder offered a candid explanation of his decision, describing it as the result of “a combination of factors.”
A Brief Return Under Different Circumstances
Casillo’s return to the studio in March 2025 generated significant interest. He was not simply a veteran developer rejoining the team, but one of the key technical figures behind Assetto Corsa and Assetto Corsa Competizione—two titles widely regarded as benchmarks in vehicle physics and simulation fidelity. His second tenure at Kunos, however, ended in December 2025, a development that largely went unnoticed until early 2026.
Rather than attributing his departure to a single disagreement or incident, Casillo framed the situation as structural. By the time he rejoined as Chief Technology Officer, much of the project’s technological foundation had already been established.
Relocation and Operational Friction
One of the most concrete factors involved Casillo’s relocation to Australia. With Kunos Simulazioni based in Italy, the time zone difference created persistent workflow challenges.
“It forced me to work in the late afternoon. My brain tends to work in the early morning. I tried to adapt, but I never could.”
Beyond logistics, the issue highlights a broader industry reality: even in globally distributed development environments, temporal alignment remains crucial, particularly for senior technical roles where rapid iteration and collaboration are essential.
Technological Disagreements—Normal but Impactful
Casillo also acknowledged disagreements with certain technological decisions made prior to his return. Importantly, he avoided presenting these differences as conflict.
“It’s very normal for programmers to disagree about technology. You will always find people who don’t agree, even on the same team.”
While framed diplomatically, the comment underscores a common dynamic in software-driven projects. Once core architectural decisions are locked in, the scope for newly returned leadership to influence direction becomes inherently limited.
A Mismatch of Roles and Expectations
Perhaps the most revealing aspect of Casillo’s explanation concerned his view of what Kunos required at this stage of development.
“What is needed right now is somebody who’s a people person… and I’m not that guy. The thing that I like to do is code.”
Casillo emphasized his discomfort with roles centered primarily on management and coordination rather than direct technical contribution. Ultimately, he stated that he left because he felt there was “nothing I could give at this stage.”
Creative Fatigue with Racing Sims
In one of the stream’s most discussed moments, Casillo openly admitted a declining enthusiasm for working on racing simulations. He specifically referenced the challenge of artificial intelligence systems in sim racing.
“Sim racing needs much better AI. I know what would be needed to improve it, but I don’t know how to make something better than what we already have.”
The observation is particularly notable given the current prominence of AI across the technology sector. Casillo’s remarks suggest that achieving meaningful advances in racing sim AI remains a complex, unresolved problem—even for developers deeply experienced in physics and simulation systems.
Kunos Simulazioni’s Evolution and the “Save the Game” Narrative
Without explicitly referencing recent design decisions, Casillo addressed community concerns surrounding Assetto Corsa EVO.
“I don’t think the game needs to be saved. I think the company is going through a new phase.”
His comments pointed to what he characterized as a shift in leadership style within the studio, describing a transition away from strongly technical-oriented leadership. Rather than framing this as criticism, Casillo portrayed it as a natural part of organizational growth, where certain decisions inevitably involve trade-offs and adjustments.
A New Direction: Independent Development
Following his departure, Casillo returned to a development model more closely aligned with his personal preferences: smaller-scope projects and solo work. He is currently developing an early-stage tennis game, occasionally streaming live coding sessions on Twitch and YouTube.
In remarks shared with OverTake, Casillo noted that working independently allows him to focus on the aspect of game development he enjoys most—writing code. He also highlighted the personal significance of the project, referencing his longstanding connection to tennis.
Consistent with his pragmatic tone, Casillo avoided rigidly defining the game’s final concept. His stated objective is simple: ensure that “tennis looks and feels like tennis,” while deliberately avoiding conventional licensed or hyper-realistic approaches.
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