Game guidelongest-running gaming magazine in the US is officially dead, and GameStop killed it. It began in 1991 and is one of the last physical gaming magazines in the world, with cover stories that still provide deep dives and exclusive interviews on the biggest upcoming games, from Final Fantasy: VII Rebirth Down Star Wars: Outlaws. Not any more.
Employees at the magazine, which also publishes a website, a weekly podcast and online video documentaries about game studios and developers, were summoned to a meeting Friday with the vice president of human resources at parent company GameStop. They were told the publication would be closing immediately, everyone was being laid off and would begin receiving severance pay. At least one employee was on a business trip when the team was informed. The abrupt closure Game guide means the issue number is 367, the sales point number Dragon Age: Veilguard cover article will be the last.
This Game guide The Twitter account posted the following statement online today, but sources say My city this was not written by anyone from the team who was still making sure that all employees were informed of the news:
After 33 electrifying years of bringing you the latest news, reviews, and insights from the ever-evolving world of gaming, it is with hefty hearts that we announce the closure of Game Informer.
From the early days of pixel adventures to today’s immersive virtual lands, it has been our honor to share this incredible journey with you, our faithful readers. While our publishing may be coming to a halt, the passion for games we’ve nurtured together will live on.
Thank you for being a part of our epic journey. May your gaming adventures never end.
“A frustrating turn of events (especially considering we’re about 70% done with the next issue and it was supposed to have a GREAT cover)” he tweeted Game guide magazine’s content director, Kyle Hilliard, after the news broke. “I’m furious about the end Game guide,, he tweeted former video producer Ben Hanson. “It was an incredible 33-year run, and then GameStop threw out this fake/empty farewell message. I bet it was written by AI. Fuck you GameStop and a big fuck Ryan Cohen.”
In the times of glory, Game guide was the leading monthly among the group of publications which included Pro Game, Electronic games monthlyand many others, as well as magazines focused around the platform, such as Nintendo PowerThe Minneapolis-based print publication has since become the only major newspaper in the U.S., known for its monthly reviews, editorial columns, and extensive previews of upcoming games, and access to big-name interviews that few others in the industry could match.
Game guide was purchased by GameStop with its previous owner, gaming retail competitor FuncoLand, in 2000. This essentially gave the publication its own single-magazine kiosk in thousands of stores, and GameStop customers received a yearly subscription as one of the benefits for signing up for the store’s loyalty program. At a time when online gaming blogs and YouTube channels weren’t ubiquitous, browsing Game guide was the primary way many gamers explored the world of gaming beyond what they and their friends owned.
In recent years, however, as GameStop has begun to shrink following a collapse in physical game sales, the massive corporation has become a drag on the Game guideneck, burdening it with clueless middle managers and conflicting, ever-changing directives. Despite the explosion of meme stocks that has put billions of dollars in the bank, GameStop continues to slash jobs across its business, including almost annual rounds of layoffs On Game guide.
Longtime Editor-in-Chief Andy McNamara left to join Electronic Arts in 2020with the departure of other older workers in the face of the ongoing crisis. After the physical problems were removed Game guide GameStop finally allowed the publication to start selling directly to subscribers a few months ago, a move that seemed like a fresh, more independent beginning, or at least a prelude to the decades-old store finally being spun off or sold.
Game guideGameStop’s closure comes as GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen continues shit-posting on the 2024 election. In an email to employees last year, management called for “extreme austerity” and criticized “money wasters“who did not contribute to the company’s growth or success. He is currently being sued by the former company behind Bed, Bath, and Beyond for $47 million in insider trading profits.
Updated August 2, 2024, 12:08 PM EST: Added reactions from some current employees.
