Gaming Icon Game Informer Abruptly Ends Three-Decade Run

GameStop has decided to close Game Informer, a cornerstone of gaming journalism for 33 years. Read on to learn about the announcement, Game Informer's history, and the employees' shocked reactions

Game Informer Bids Farewell As A Gaming PublicationThe Announcement and GameStop's Decision

On August 2, Game Informer announced on their Twitter (X) page that both the magazine and its online publishing would be shutting down. This unexpected news marked the end of a 33-year legacy, leaving fans and industry professionals alike in shock. The announcement highlighted the magazine's journey from the early days of pixelated adventures to today's immersive virtual realms. It expressed gratitude to loyal readers for being part of this epic quest and assured them that the passion for gaming cultivated together would continue to live on. Despite the presses stopping, the essence of gaming that Game Informer cherished would remain.

The staff at the magazine, which also publishes a website, weekly podcast, and online video documentaries about game studios and developers, were called into a meeting on Friday with GameStop’s VP of HR. During this meeting, they were informed that the publication was closing immediately, and they were all laid off, with severance terms to follow. The sudden closure means that issue number 367, featuring the Dragon Age: The Veilguard cover story, will be its last. The entire website has been wiped from the internet, with every historical link now redirecting to a farewell message, archiving decades of gaming history.

Game Informer's History

Game Informer (GI) was an American monthly video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game retailer FuncoLand started publishing an in-house newsletter. It was acquired by the retailer GameStop, which bought FuncoLand in 2000.

Game Informer Online was originally launched in August 1996 and featured daily news updates as well as articles. Justin Leeper and Matthew Kato were hired in November 1999 as full-time web editors. As part of the GameStop purchase of the magazine, this original GameInformer.com site was closed around January 2001. Both Leeper and Kato were eventually placed on the editorial staff of the magazine.

GI Online was revived, at the same domain name, in September 2003, with a full redesign and many additional features, such as a review database, frequent news updates, and exclusive Unlimited content for subscribers.

In March 2009, the digital staff began creating the code for what would be the latest redesign to date. The redesign was to release simultaneously with the magazine's own redesign. On October 1, 2009, the newly redesigned website went live, with a welcome message from Editor-In-Chief Andy McNamara. Many new features were introduced, including a rebuilt media player, a feed highlighting the site activity of the website's users, and the ability to create user reviews. At the same time, the magazine's podcast, The Game Informer Show, was launched.

In recent years, however, as GameStop has declined following the collapse of physical game sales, the colossal corporation became an albatross around Game Informer’s neck, weighing it down with uninformed middle-managers and contradictory and ever-shifting directives. Despite its meme stock explosion, which has netted it billions in the bank, GameStop has continued reducing jobs across its business, including nearly annual rounds of layoffs at Game Informer.

After discontinuing physical issues of Game Informer from its rewards program, GameStop finally let the publication start selling directly to subscribers again a couple of months ago. It seemed like a new, more autonomous beginning of sorts, or at least a prelude to the decades-old legacy outlet finally getting spun-off or sold.

Employees' Reaction Online

The sudden closure of Game Informer has left its employees devastated and shocked. Many took to social media to express their disbelief and sorrow over the abrupt end of their work and the legacy of the publication. Former staff members, some of whom had spent decades with the magazine, shared their memories and frustration over the lack of notice and the loss of their contributions to gaming journalism.

"Thank you for what you have brought to the video game industry," said the official Konami account on X. "We will never stop fondly reminiscing about waiting for that next issue to arrive in the mail."

"We were about 70% done with the next issue and it was going to have a GREAT cover," said former magazine editorial director Kyle Hilliard.

"All of our features on Game Informer... just... gone," said Liana Ruppert, a former staffer who left in 2021. "Some of my favorite work I ever did was over there and that’s just me – heart is breaking for the folks that have been there so much longer, poured so much of themselves into it just for it to be taken away with ZERO notice. How is this ok?"

"As someone who was there at issue one and spent most of their life fighting and scratching and clawing for GI, it breaks my heart to see it end," said Andy McNamara, a former editor-in-chief who was at the publication for 29 years.

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier observed that ChatGPT was able to write a pretty similar message to the one that was actually posted. "I told ChatGPT to write a farewell message for Game Informer magazine (R.I.P.) and it sure sounds a lot like the one that GameStop executives published this afternoon."

The closure of Game Informer marks the end of an era in gaming journalism. For 33 years, the publication has been a cornerstone of the gaming community, providing in-depth coverage, reviews, and insights into the world of video games. Its sudden shutdown has left a void in the industry, highlighting the challenges traditional media faces in the digital age. As the gaming community bids farewell to this iconic publication, the legacy of Game Informer will undoubtedly live on in the memories of its readers and the countless stories it brought to life.