Joe Madureira has announced that he is leaving Vigil Games, the studio he cofounded in 2005. Madureira, the creative director behind the Darksiders games, says that he is moving on to pursue "new adventures."

He revealed his departure in a Facebook status update. "Farewell and best wishes to all my brothers and sisters at Vigil Games! After 7 long years and 2 hit games ( Darksiders BABY! ) I'm afraid the time has come for me to move on to new adventures. I could not be more proud of what we achieved, or the awesome people who helped build up this studio. I can safely say Vigil's future is in very good hands, so expect only awesomeness down the road. This feels surreal...I miss the place already."

“After nearly eight years at the studio, he has decided to take time out and focus on his passion for comics and other creative outlets," THQ said in a statement. "His departure will not have an impact on future DLC or game development. Joe was beloved by all at Vigil and THQ, and he will most certainly be missed.  It is possible he may still consult with Vigil on future projects, and we look forward to that opportunity.”

Madureira hasn't yet said what his next move will be, but he did say that information on what he deems "The Next Big Thing" will be coming over the next few months. In the meantime, he says he'll be working on comics.

You can see footage of Madureira reflecting on his career (and drawing Death) here.

[Via GameSpot]