Iconic video game magazine Game Informer is reportedly shutting down after more than three decades in the industry.
The GameStop-owned publication, which was started in August 1993, announced its closure via a short post on social media. It notes that after 33 "thrilling years," it announced with a heavy heart, its closure.
Game Informer Suddenly Shuts Down
The sudden announcement seems to have taken the community by surprise and online content director Brian Shea said that her "Heart is broken" while quoting the news. Magazine content director Kyle Hilliard also described the situation as a "frustrating turn of events."
Previous reports noted that GameStop leadership abruptly informed all Game Informer staff that the publication would be shutting down immediately. Following this, all of the employees will receive severance terms, according to NintendoLife.
One of the publication's employees was even in the middle of a work trip when the team was informed about the sudden closure. The development also comes after Game Informer experienced a heavy round of layoffs in 2022 where none of the original team remained.
In previous years, the publication all had further redundancies that were largely a direct result of GameStops' declining financial results. Moving forward, Game Informer's final release is issue number 367 and is the outlet's Dragon Age: The Veilguard cover story.
Game Informer's shutdown marks the end of the line for the longest-running gaming magazine in the United States. It first began publishing in 1991 and has become one of the last remaining physical gaming magazines worldwide, said Kotaku.
The publication had cover stories that continued to share deep dives and exclusive interviews on the most popular games that were coming out during their time. These include Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Star Wars Outlaws.
The End of an Era
The entire website of Game Informer was also taken down and now only shows the publication's final goodbye to the public. Hilliard added that he was furious about the publication ending, noting that it was an incredible 33-year journey.
All Game Informer URLs now redirect viewers to the official statement of its closure, which means that the decades worth of articles, reviews, and original reports have been erased.
One of the stories that is no longer accessible is a recent in-depth feature on the retro game studio Digital Eclipse about gaming's history and preservation.
The closure also comes after Game Informer launched a new subscription in March earlier this year. This was detached from GameStop's rewards program and costs $19.91 annually, according to PCGamer.
