Flash of Steel reports that Civilization V lead designer Jon Shafer has departed Firaxis, confirming indications of the change found in Shafer's LinkedIn profile. They have a comment from Jon, who says: "I very much enjoyed my time Firaxis, worked on many projects that I’ve very proud of and got to know a lot of amazing people. I’m appreciative of the opportunities provided by Firaxis and 2K, and hope to see (and play) more great games from them in the future." They also have a response to the news from Firaxis: "We are grateful for Jon’s contributions to Firaxis and the Civilization franchise and wish him all the best in the future." Thanks Joao via Gamasutra.