IGN Entertainment, a division of media company Ziff Davis that includes IGN, MapGenie, HowLongToBeat and Humble Bundle, has acquired the Gamer Network.
As part of the deal, IGN Entertainment will acquire notable websites such as Eurogamer, GamesIndustry.biz, Rock Paper Shotgun and more for an undisclosed sum.
The deal will not include the sale of UK-based events EGX or MCM. Digital brand Popverse will also remain with ReedPop, Gamer Network’s previous parent company.
Redundancies have already begun to happen throughout the organisation due to the deal, with the Managing Editor of GamesIndustry.biz, Brendan Sinclair, and Alice Bell, Deputy Editor at Rock Paper Shotgun already being laid off. There is currently no indication as to how many roles will be made redundant.
Based in Brighton and founded in 1999, Gamer Network originally launched with just one site, Eurogamer, but by 2012 had a roster of sites and YouTube channels that included Outside Xbox, Nintendo Life and Rock Paper Shotgun. It continued to add more sites until it was bought in 2018 by events organiser ReedPop.
Alongside Gamer Network, IGN is one of the most well-known and historic video game news outlets. It was founded in 1996 and established itself as one of the go-to sites for reviews and ratings of games. It was later sold to publishing company Ziff Davis in 2013. Since then it has only grown its portfolio, obtaining video game digital storefront Humble Bundle in 2017.
These layoffs follow an all too familiar trend in both gaming and esports, with the latter’s struggles often dubbed as the esports winter.
