I reached out to Daniel and just heard back from him this afternoon. He gave me permission to relay his reply. To paraphrase and summarize the reason for his sudden disappearance:
"He's building a career and portfolio as a professional designer and realized that his time spent on the boards is an old habit that is counter productive to his goals."
Daniel has so much to this game over the years! He's certainly had a influence on the more modern look of the new card face!
While I'm sad to see Daniel go, I appreciate that he is prioritizing what is important to him. I hope that some day when his career is established he will see fit to rejoin us.