Zynga COO John Schappert abruptly leaves company

Two weeks after mobile-gaming giant Zynga came forward with its disappointing second-quarter earnings report, the company’s COO, John Schappert, resigned Wednesday.

Schappert’s departure was revealed in a filing with the SEC this afternoon, and it was later confirmed by Mark Pincus, Zynga’s CEO.

“We can confirm that John Schappert has left Zynga and its Board of Directors effective immediately,” Pincus said in a statement. “John has made significant contributions to the games industry throughout his career and we appreciate all that he has done for Zynga. John leaves as a friend of the company and we wish him all the best.”

Schappert received a compensation package worth $42.8 million last year.

Before news of Schappert’s resignation broke, Zynga’s stock fell six cents to $2.95 a share Wednesday. To put that into perspective, when Zynga went public in December, its shares went for $10 a pop, or 70 percent more than they do now.