Electronic Arts COO John Pleasants has left the publisher to become the CEO of social game developer Playdom.

Playdom describes itself as “a leading social gaming company and the largest game developer on MySpace," boasting more than 20 million monthly active users.

“I’m thrilled to join Playdom,” said Pleasants. “Online gaming is the fastest-growing sector of the gaming industry, and social gaming, in particular, is transforming the way people play and experience games.

“With its expertise understanding player behaviour, Playdom is uniquely well positioned to lead the industry. Playdom is also an angel-and self-funded growth company, making it a standout in any industry.”

At EA, Pleasants was responsible for overseeing all consumer-facing businesses, including Pogo, Rupture and Mobile Games, as well as the company’s social gaming initiatives.

Playdom co-founder and current CEO Dan Yue will now take on the position of chief product officer.

“We’re experiencing tremendous growth in all areas of our business,” he said. “John’s operational expertise and strong industry relationships will be key to scaling the company quickly and forging the right partnerships.”