kollaFollowing GameStop’s sudden and unexpected decision to shut down Game Informer after an impressive 33-year run – a move that saw all the work on its website vanish and the entire staff reportedly laid off – the video game industry has been abuzz with tributes and expressions of sorrow.
Former lead video producer Alex Van Aken lamented, “I’m heartbroken – it was my dream job – but my bills don’t care.” Wesley LeBlanc, a former editor, shared his unemployment status upon returning from a work trip. Kyle Hilliard, the former magazine content director, stated, “We were about 70% done with the next issue and it was going to have a GREAT cover.” Liana Ruppert, a former staffer who left in 2021, exclaimed, “All of our features on Game Informer… just… gone. Some of my favorite work I ever did was over there and that’s just me – my 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?”
Andy McNamara, a former editor-in-chief who dedicated 29 years to the publication, said, “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.” Another former editor-in-chief, Andrew Reiner, posted, “Heartbroken and angry. Most of my adult life was spent at Game Informer. All day, I’ve been remembering amazing moments I had with the team – some of the most talented and kindhearted people I’ve ever met and was lucky enough to work with. End of an era, but GI forever!” (Shuhei Yoshida, who once led Sony’s worldwide game studios and now heads up its indie initiatives, replied: “Unbelievable! Thank you for all the years of amazing coverage and friendship. GI lives in our memory forever.”)
Neil Druckmann, the head of creative at The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog and an executive producer on the hit HBO show, commented, “As someone who grew up poring over each issue, it was such a thrill and an honor to see our games grace Game Informer. Sad that such a staple of our industry is now gone. Good luck to everyone involved. Your work will be missed.”
The official Konami account on X expressed, “Thank you for what you have brought to the video game industry. We will never stop fondly reminiscing about waiting for that next issue to arrive in the mail. Your legacy and impact will forever remain.” Accounts such as Discord, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed, Metacritic, and X Gaming also paid tribute to Game Informer.
Many are reminiscing about Game Informer’s outstanding covers, often adorned with beautiful, custom art. Kit Ellis, who worked at Nintendo for over 13 years in marketing and PR, highlighted how the Game Informer team pushed Nintendo to create amazing art for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild cover. Michał Nowakowski, the joint CEO of CD Project Red, recalled, “I remember how excited we were to get this cover ahead of The Witcher 3 launch. Game Informer was there in the very early days of the industry and it is hard to imagine this will be no more.” Radek Grabowski, CD Projekt Red’s global PR director, also pointed out great covers for Borderlands and Fortnite, stating, “This is video game preservation, which deserves recognition.”
Current and former staffers continue to express their deep sadness. Some are closely examining the shutdown message itself, which, according to Ethan Gach of Kotaku, was not penned by Game Informer staff. Jason Schreier of Bloomberg observed that ChatGPT could generate a strikingly similar message to the one that was actually posted. GameStop has remained silent, not responding to requests for comment.
