Report: Xbox boss Don Mattrick leaves Microsoft

[Update: Zynga has confirmed Don Mattrick will join the company as CEO starting next week. Full story here.]

Original story: Microsoft Interactive Entertainment president Don Mattrick is to resign, according to a report.

Multiple sources close to the situation have told AllThingsD that Mattrick is on his way out, and could be heading to Zynga as CEO.

That position is already occupied by founder and current CEO Mark Pincus, but given the company’s struggles during the last 18 months, could be set to take on a smaller role within the social giant he helped build.

The report suggests that Mattrick may still however work closely with Pincus.

It is believed talks between the Xbox president and Zynga have been going on for a long time.

Another potential destination for Mattrick could be Electronic Arts, which is looking for a new CEO following the resignation of John Riccitiello.

Former EA executive producer Giordano Contestabile has claimed on Twitter that his sources say the Xbox exec is bound for EA. The claims were also backed up by Scattered Entertainment GM and former EA DICE executive producer Ben Cousins.

Mattrick himself has a long history with EA, having joined the publisher in 1991 following its acquisition of Distinctive Software. He went on to spend the next 15 years working for the company, including serving as president of worldwide studios.

In 2006 Mattrick retired from the publisher, later joining Microsoft in 2007 where he has since played a leading role in driving the Xbox strategy, overseeing the launch of motion sensing peripheral Kinect and increasing the division’s focus on entertainment as a whole.