NBA Jam creator Mark Turmell has left EA Sports and joined up with social game giant Zynga, reports Kotaku. Turmell has worked as a senior creative director for EA Sports since 2009. His impending position at Zynga is unannounced at this time. Turmell had been rumored to be working on a revival of NFL Blitz, which EA bought the rights to when Midway was liquidated.

This isn't the first time EA has seen talent leave for Zynga's social games empire. Chief operating officer John Schappert left a few months ago, and Zynga picked up some talent from from EA in building its Los Angeles studio -- which then released the strategy-social hybrid Empires & Allies.

An EA spokesperson commented on Turmell's departure: "We appreciate Mark's contribution to Tiburon and EA Sports and wish him well in future endeavors."