Vox media has bought Polygon, its online game and leisure publication, to Valnet, proprietor of a number of leisure manufacturers together with Collider, TheGamer, and GameRant. “Many” employees have reportedly been laid off within the sale. The information broke as employees took to Bluesky and different social media platforms to announce they’re now out of a job, together with editor-in-chief Chris Plante.
Layoffs in video games media have run paralell to huge layoffs in video games. This sale implies that Polygon, thought of one of the profitable media retailers in video games, may have a decreased capability to report on the sport trade and to attach gamers with builders.
Plante notes in his submit: “I am now not with Polygon. In case you’re hiring, please contemplate the various gifted writers and editors now in the marketplace. Each certainly one of them deserves a spot in your employees. I will not be speaking extra concerning the sale as a result of I wasn’t concerned.”
Staffers from seemingly each division have been affected, together with reporters, leisure writers, video producers, and writers and editors from the guides, curation, and social media departments.
A press launch notes that Polygon will be part of Valnet’s gaming portfolio, and a quote by Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff seems to substantiate that Vox is getting out of the sport media enterprise with this sale.
“This transaction will allow us to focus our energies and funding assets in different precedence areas of development throughout our portfolio of iconic digital publications and audio/video programming, whereas enabling Valnet to develop their management and authority within the gaming info class.”
Consolidation and layoffs in recreation media
The sale—and layoff of so many media employees—is probably simply the most recent (and most seen) incident within the elevated consolidation and conglomeration of recreation media within the final decade. Fandom acquired Gamespot in 2022, alongside Large Bomb and different websites. Final yr, IGN acquired the Gamer Community of manufacturers (together with GI.biz, Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun, and extra).
Layoffs, whether or not they’re talked about or not in cheerful company pressers, are widespread in these offers. We’d like solely take a look at EA’s latest layoffs for related obfuscation in its communications about cuts.
Disclosure: The creator of this piece was a senior reviewer and video producer at Polygon from 2013-2015.
