Polygon = Poly-GONE, Giant BOMBED Jeff Grubb! Game "Journos" Everywhere BOOTED!

Polygon Sold to Valnet, GiantBomb Fizzles Out. Industry Journo Total Meltdown: Gaming Outlets Facing Even MORE Layoffs!

In a move sending extreme shockwaves throughout the entire gaming journalism sphere, Polygon, the once-flagship gaming outlet under Vox Media—has now been sold to Canadian media conglomerate Valnet, the SEO-driven powerhouse behind GameRant, ScreenRant, TheGamer, and more. Almost immediately after the deal closed, a massive wave of layoffs swept through all of Polygon, ousting key staff members including former editor-in-chief Chris Plante. The same Chris Plante that condemned a scientist for wearing a misogynist t-shirt back in the day...

Forgive me for not shedding a tear for these people being out of work. Anyone taking that kind of approach, IMHO, is a douche. No different than many other journos in the field.

“I’m no longer with Polygon... If you’re hiring, please consider the many talented writers and editors now on the market. Every one of them deserves a spot on your staff. I won’t be talking more about the sale because I wasn’t involved.”

~Chris Plante

On top of that, and as far as I can tell, unrelated, other areas of the game journo-realm like Fandom have also been impacted with layoffs. Among those no longer there, reportedly Jeff Grubb, GiantBomb Video Content Producer and Dan Ryckert, GiantBomb's Creative Director.

Many more names are possible to be added to the seemingly ever-growing list.

According to the official press release, Valnet described the acquisition as “perfectly aligned” with its long-term strategy to dominate the gaming media space... Polygon now joins Valnet’s growing portfolio, which already includes Game Rant, TheGamer, Fextralife, OpenCritic, DualShockers, and HardcoreGamer—a collective that reportedly reaches over 1.2 billion users annually. In an industry that is actively burning to the ground in wake of the rise of YouTube.

“It is with immense pride and gratitude that we welcome Polygon into our growing family of world-class gaming brands... At Valnet, we’re not just participants in this space; we are its undisputed leader.”

~ Valnet CEO Hassan Youssef

While the official press release pushes that generic bs of “focused investment and innovation” - myself... alongside many others are skeptical, to put it nicely.

At this point, Valnet's earned the reputation in this realm for mass-producing click-driven content under a low-cost, high-output model. According to ThatParkPlace, A 2023 report by TheWrap quoted one former contributor calling conditions at Valnet-run sites “almost sweatshop-level,” citing some incredibly harsh deadlines that an actual human would struggle to keep up with, and minimal editorial oversight.

The fallout from the sale reflects all of these concerns. In addition to the numerous Polygon staffers let go, GiantBomb looks like it has come to an end as well. Oh no. Now we won't get any more casting couch moments like this one anymore from them:

The destruction is beautiful. There's no doubt that the site’s in-depth "cultural" commentary and longform reporting will eventually come to an ultimate end at some point, now under Valnet’s ownership. Polygon will most likely now be refashioned into yet another SEO farm, optimized for algorithms but hollowed of the activism that was there before. Not that it's going to change anything anyways. The direction they have been going for years has created this environment. Numbers had been dwindling and this outcome was inevitable.

Even Vox Media framed the deal as a strategic retreat. CEO Jim Bankoff called the sale a necessity in light of “a challenging economic environment” ...and stating it would allow Vox to “focus our energies and investment resources in other priority areas.”

Haha. Riiight.

Founded back in 2012, Polygon initially carved out a niche with its critical takes on gaming culture, blending pop culture analysis with progressive viewpoints. Hell back then, I would go there often and even enjoyed a lot of the content. But now, even before the sale, the site had drawn strong criticism from gamers who've felt alienated by their... we'll just say... ideological tone. Under Valnet, it’s unclear right now what tone Polygon will take moving forward... Again, not that it matters anyway.

Now, with Polygon folded into the Valnet empire and many of its original creators laid off, fans and critics alike are left wondering: Is the industry finally healing, by burning what existed to ashes?

~Smash