Game Informer, the credible video game entertainment publication, and GameStop headquarters employees are facing company-wide surprise layoffs. Parent company GameStop Corp. is letting go of more than 120 employees across the businesses.
GameStop is also the parent company of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada’s EB Games and Zing Pop Culture. The industry of retail gaming is slowly in decline, resulting in GameStop Corp. rejigging their internal structure to cut costs.
A representative from GameStop highlights the new “Reboot Initiative” to save the business. They explain, “… to transform our business for the future and improve our financial performance, we can confirm a workforce reduction was implemented impacting more than 120 corporate staff positions…” This layoff is roughly “14 per cent” of the total associate base of company and subsidiaries.
Popular editors and content contributors to Game Informer Magazine are speaking out on Twitter in regards to their shocking departures. Former Senior Editor Imran Khan is one of the many games journalism veterans to be affected. Khan alerted his followers with an appreciation for all his friends and coworkers, exclaiming they “…made this the best experience of [his] life”. Senior Associate Editors Kyle Hillard and Jeff Marchiafava found the news “surprising and heartbreaking“, all while Marchiafava was on holiday.
My position at Game Informer was eliminated today. Thank you to all the readers, the fans who have sent me nice messages over the years, my colleagues, and everyone in the industry who made me feel welcome. You all made this the best experience of my life.
— Imran Khan (@imranzomg) August 20, 2019
Other employees of Game Informer are facing the cuts while overseas at Germany’s Gamescom 2019. Javy Gwaltney mentions, “I found out that I’ve been laid off alongside many of the talented, amazing human beings I got to work with at Game Informer. It sucks and I’m not sure what’s ahead but I’ll be okay. I’m really proud of the things we built at [Game Informer]…”
In April 2019, Game Informer Australia officially shut down due to similar cost-cutting procedures. The aforementioned American version is replacing the long-running Australian magazine. Editor David Milner says the closure is result of GameStop failing to seek a new buyer for the regressing company.
I guess this goes here too. Thanks for everything. It’s been fun. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/mvgkFg0cgK
— David Milner (@DaveMilbo) April 18, 2019
It’s uncertain if these August layoffs affect Australia and New Zealand headquarters. We wish our friends across the pond and those at home the best of luck in their futures. They are all incredible writers and deserve the very best out of their passions and careers.
