Zynga cofounder leaves the social-game developer

Zynga cofounder Justin Waldron is leaving the company.

Waldron made the announcement on his Facebook page (as first spotted by ZDNet). He did not indicate if he has any new projects in the works.

“I’ve decided it’s time to leave Zynga and venture off on my own again,” wrote Waldron.

He was only 19 when he built Zynga Poker, the company’s first game, and was its lead engineer. Later he would take on leadership roles developing new games.

“It’s been six and a half years since we pushed the button to launch our first game and each moment since has been magic,” he wrote. “It’s incredibly humbling to have worked with such a talented team. I am grateful to have had the chance to help build a company that touched so many people. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of it — both in the trenches and for playing the games.”

Zynga is in a transitional phase as it watches its position atop social games evaporate. In July, cofounder Mark Pincus stepped down as chief executive to let former Xbox boss Don Mattrick take on that role and rehabilitate the company. Since then, Mattrick has shaken up the organizational structure.