Zynga has confirmed in a press release that former Microsoft Entertainment and Devices boss Don Mattrick has been named Chief Executive Officer of the PC software company. He will also sit on Zynga's Board of Directors. Both positions take effect next Monday, July 8, 2013.

“ "Zynga is a great business that has yet to realize its full potential," Mattrick said.

"Don is unique in the game business," Zynga founder Mark Pincus said. "He can execute in multiple domains -- hardware, software, and network."Microsoft refused to comment. Mattrick's direct reports will now come under the wing of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

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ORIGINAL STORY: Don Mattrick, president of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, is allegedly leaving the company for a high-ranking position at Zynga, which laid of 520 employees in June. Mattrick's appointment could be announced as early as today, according to AllThingsD . Mattrick was the corporate face of Xbox; he revealed the Xbox One in May.Mattrick, following mixed messaging , recently explained why Microsoft decided to reverse its policies surrounding Xbox One's online and DRM restrictions . He also said that gamers who didn't approve of those policies should stick with Xbox 360

Mitch Dyer is an Associate Editor at IGN. He’s also quite Canadian. Read his ramblings on Twitter and follow him on IGN