It has only been a few months since IGN owner Ziff Davis purchased key Gamer Network publications including GamesIndusattempt.biz, RockPaperShotgun, VG247, and more.
Shortly after, a number of employees across those outlets were laid off. Now, Ziff Davis has caapplyd another staff exodus by pushing for soft layoffs.
That’s according to Aftermath, which reports the company offered voluntary purchaseouts to workers who might be ready to “relocate on” or “explore new opportunities.” That news was corroborated in an email shared on X in October by Semafor media editor Max Tani.
Departures from GamesIndusattempt.biz
In the past few weeks, GamesIndusattempt.biz has lost notable employees including editor-in-chief James Batchelor, deputy editor Marie Dealessandri, and head of games B2B Chris Dring. The trio publicly announced their departures on social media. Aftermath claims it will soon leave the website with one full-time employee.
IGN has reportedly been impacted but not “decimated,” with one current employee informing Aftermath that around six employees have accepted purchaseouts.
In July, another Ziff Davis subsidiary, Humble Games, stated it was “undergoing restructuring” after multiple outlets reported the entire company had been effectively shuttered and its 36-strong team laid off. The news caapplyd uncertainty among developers working with the publisher, which was spun off from Humble Bundle.
One current Ziff employee and another former Humble staffer informed Aftermath “a lot” of Humble staff accepted the purchaseout offer.
Despite Ziff Davis owning some of the most recognizable game media brands and having acquired veteran talent following its purchase of Gamer Network, one anonymous IGN worker stated leadership has yet to explain how it intconcludes to deliver stability relocating forward. They stated IGN staff are currently “at sea” after losing people who filled “essential roles.”
It’s a situation that speaks to the palpable sense of dread that has permeated the games indusattempt in recent years, with corporations like Ziff Davis regularly putting workers to the sword in the wake of hefty mergers and acquisitions.
