Madden lead producer David Ortiz leaves EA

David Ortiz, the lead producer of Electronic Arts' popular Madden franchise (which includes Madden 08 for the Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, DS, PC and PS3), has left EA Tiburon. His position will be filled in by EA Tiburon producer Phil Frazier. Frazier will head development on future next generation versions of Madden.

Rumor has it that Ortiz left due to family reasons although others suggested that he simply grew frustrated with the inner workings of the studio. Instead of leaving the general public in the dark regarding this issue, an EA representative sent out a statement to 1UP.com to clarify Ortiz's departure from the studio:

David's been a valuable part of our team at EA Tiburon, and we wish him the best. Dale Jackson, an EA veteran for more than a decade, continues to lead the Madden NFL development team

While this sudden departure might panic Madden fans, it doesn't seem like there's any reason to worry. Electronic Arts seems to be on top of things meaning we'll be seeing more of this series in the future.