After an epic 33 year run, iconic US gaming tome Game Informer is no more. The magazine, which published its first issue all the way back in 1991, was shuttered today by parent company GameStop. There’ll be no final issue or fond farewells, as all current staff have been laid off effective immediately. At the time of writing, the publication’s website is offline.
Despite only being published in the US, Game Informer attained worldwide recognition for its cover stories, which often featured exclusive information on tentpole titles. Sony regularly partnered with the publication, running major stories on titles as recent as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The current issue, with Dragon Age: The Veilguard on its front, will be the magazine’s last.
A statement was published on Game Informer’s official X (or Twitter) account, although according to Kotaku sources this was not written by any of the editorial staff on the team:
“Game Informer has been closed down by GameStop and the entire, incredibly talented staff (including myself) have all been laid off,” writer Kyle Hilliard shared on social media. “A frustrating turn of events, especially considering we were about 70% done with the next issue and it was going to have a great cover.”
After rising to fame in the 90s against other US print magazine titans like GamePro and Electronic Gaming Monthly, Game Informer was purchased by GameStop in 2000, allowing it to place the magazine in its many stores across America. It also offered a subscription to the publication as part of its store membership scheme.
But as the desire for printed media and physical games has declined, it’s felt like Game Informer has been fighting an uphill battle for quite some time. It did an excellent job of pivoting to the web, where its YouTube documentaries and quick-fire interviews attracted acclaim, but with GameStop desperate to cut costs, it was only a matter of time before it shuttered the well-loved publication entirely.
[source twitter.com, via x.com, kotaku.com]
Comments 31
I don't imagine we'll have to wait too terribly long to see Gamestop fold as well. It's sad for the people who are affected by layoffs and for my childhood memories with this company.
Never read Game Informer as we obviously didn't get it in the UK, but always sad to see magazines close.
The entire reason for Push Square's existence is my entire childhood spent reading magazines just like Game Informer!
Always loved Game Informer's cover art. Was always really nice artwork. Shame to see them go but it's completely understandable nowadays.
I remember before GTA 5 came out Game informer had a big blowout with all the information.
They also had really great covers whenever there was a big game. It's sad to see the death or print media. Throughout my teens and early 20s I used to read a few gaming mags, and apart from Edge they're all gone
I still have some Game Informer magazines with covers like Halo 3, Mass Effect 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and the 20th anniversary of PlayStation cover. I loved reading them as a kid. I think I’m going to go to GameStop today and buy whatever magazines they’ve got left.
I used to love buying loads of gaming magazines just so I could soak up any new game tidbits and see new screenshots!
Ohhhh no GameStop stopped including print mags with Pro subscriptions this year, which is the only reason I actually subscribed to Pro. Then GI emailed a few months ago they had a stand-alone subscription for the print mag available. I was planning to not renew Pro in December and purchase the GI subscription instead. I'm still cancelling pro, as it won't even have a digital GI anymore.
Absolutely gutted, I loved receiving this magazine still. And unimaginable they'd suddenly kill it without warning overnight instead of winding it down.
It's a shame, I read it daily. Really too bad. I do hope staff can land on their feet somewhere else. My heart goes out to them.
@get2sammyb It was all about the Official UK PlayStation Magazine. A bit more expensive than the others but you got a demo disc with it. I will never forget the time that I spent the whole week playing the Tekken 3 demo - just two characters lol, Eddy and Xiaoyu. Good times.
Game's journalism continues to dwindle towards an IGN monopoly.
@LifeGirl Yep! I loved OPM! Like you say, in those days, when you couldn't really afford many new games, getting the demo disc was so exciting! Always something new to play!
@AgentMantis Less of the IGN slander!
Such a shame. GameStop really are a stain on the industry.
@get2sammyb If lamenting IGN's expanding monopoly is enough to trigger friction with their allegedly non-controlling stake, they already have far, far far too much control.
I stopped reading and following GI a long time ago but still, end of yet another magazine era. I really hope the best for those laid off.
@NEStalgia Clearly I'm just joking haha!
This is sad but i guess it's inevitable since Gamestop also doesn't looks good.
Very sad day. I check their site almost daily, one of the very 1st I used regularly to get my gaming news. What a loss.
This is sad
Seems only yesterday that Commodore User folded, and now this. Was this the last gaming print magazine or are there others still holding on?
While I was never a continuous subscriber to their magazine (Curse being a teenager and kid with no income) ... They were my main source for gaming information from 2006 to 2012. I still have all my magazines. I remember going through the magazines and writing down all the name of the game I wanted for Christmas to hand to my parents.
Between this and the closure of the Xbox 360 marketplace... The era of what made me a gamer is dying. Which is fitting as my interest in gaming is also winding down.
Shame to see them go but it had a good run. Thanks to them that I got more into gaming especially around middle school. Wish nothing but the best of luck to the staff.
One of only 2 magazines I ever paid a subscription for, Game Informer and Nintendo Power.
The world continues to get smaller, and sometimes not in good ways.
I miss printed magazines, and not just gaming mags. It’s understandable as to why they are gone but it’s a shame none the less.
Read up on how this was conducted. It's a perfect example for how corporate media is operated and how nobody in the top brass give a single dime about the people who actually do the labour work, actually achieving something. A shame tbh. Unionise, folks!
Nobody else will lend you a hand in fighting for you earning a living.
@Dodoo Same! I still have some from way back and get a lot of nostalgia from it
@PerpetualBoredom me too!
I still have some c&vg’s, n64 and other mags lying around. I’ve tried to throw them away many times but can never seem to be able to force myself to do it 😂
I watched the entirety of overblood
If you know. You know
they could've gone digital only anyway here we are.
For a while, especially in the earlier days, like PS2 to early PS3 era, they were the only ones I trusted for "good" reviews. There were far less publications/websites at that time, and GameSpot and IGN were usually among the top ones gamers used for their reviews. GameSpot reviews had A LOT of controversies over the years, but GI always seemed to be unfettered by any nonsense and felt very genuine.
I'll always appreciate that. Farewell.
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