Polygon was launched by Vox Media in late 2012 and immediately became one of the top sites on the internet for gaming news and criticism, before branching out to cover pop culture as a whole. (Disclaimer: I wrote one article for Polygon, over 12 years ago, before Paste brought me on full-time.) Giant Bomb was launched by former GameSpot employees in 2008 and pioneered the type of personality-focused, video- and audio-heavy gaming coverage that blew up with YouTube and Twitch. They were both very successful and popular sites, raking in millions of monthly views apiece, and with loyal, dedicated followings. They had different experiences with ownership—Polygon was owned by the one company, Vox, for over 12 years, whereas Giant Bomb had four different owners during its existence, which ultimately resulted in a complete turnover of its personality-driven staff—but both wound up at the same place this week: with staff being laid off or driven away by owners who apparently don’t understand the value or appeal of the sites they’ve acquired.
Earlier today it was announced that Valnet, a media company that owns a network of pop culture and entertainment sites that includes Collider and Screen Rant, acquired Polygon from Vox, and immediately laid off almost the entire staff. (It’s unclear at this point who still works at Polygon; co-founder and Editor-in-Chief Chris Plante and top journalist Nicole Carpenter are among those without a job, and Aftermath’s Riley MacLeod reports that at least 25 Polygon employees are believed to have been laid off.) Valnet is known within the industry for low-paying, high-output positions that a former employee described as “sweatshop-like” in an investigation by The Wrap. (Valnet has contested that article and is suing The Wrap for $64.5 million.) Needless to say, Valnet doesn’t have the best reputation, and many of the sites they’ve acquired over the years have lost the spirit and personality they used to be known for.
Giant Bomb, meanwhile, suddenly “paused” its streams at the end of April, and creative director Dan Ryckert has announced that he’ll no longer appear on the site after creative conflicts with its owner Fandom. Bombcast co-host Jeff Grubb subsequently announced his departure from the site today, with the current status of the site’s other employees unknown. The dispute reportedly boils down to Fandom wanting Giant Bomb to change the tone and personality of its live streams and podcasts—the tone and personality that has defined Giant Bomb since its start, and which made it into the site it is today. A Fandom rep told Kotaku’s Ethan Gach that the change in direction represents a “strategic reset and realignment of [Fandom’s] media brands.” Fandom also reportedly wants Giant Bomb to focus on guides in the future, which is basically the exact opposite type of content from what the site is known for.
Websites that bear the name and recognizable site designs of Polygon and Giant Bomb might continue to exist, but without the writers, editors, and creators who made those sites what they were, what’s the point? And given the track records of the site’s owners, it’ll be a shock to see work of the same quality Polygon and Giant Bomb are known for. The last several years have been calamitous for journalism and criticism overall, with an ever-dwindling ecosystem of websites desperately chasing clicks with underpaid, overworked writers churning out anonymous, SEO-chasing articles. It’s been especially tough for games journalism. Polygon’s high level of writing and keen editorial eye, and Giant Bomb’s unique and immediately recognizable personality, made both sites reminders of what the internet used to be, and could be again if websites had the proper direction and sufficient funding. Seeing both fall at the same time isn’t just discouraging; it feels like one of the final death knells for games journalism in particular and the kind of smart, passionate, and distinctive culture websites that were once a key feature of the internet. Hopefully all the writers, journalists and creatives impacted by these layoffs and “strategic resets” find work soon.
