Polygon's Recently Rocky Road
gaming site Polygon discharges union personnel, editorial leader leaves upon sale to Valnet, proprietor of Game Rant
May 2, 2025: The Writers Guild of America East drops a heavy statement.
Let's talk about the recent shift at Polygon, a gaming website backed by Vox Media since 2012. Say hello to its new owner – Canadian publisher Valnet, which also hosts Game Rant, FextraLife, and TheGamer, among other online entertainment, sports, and hobbyist publications.
Valnet's takeover didn't exactly go smoothly for everyone at Polygon. A fair chunk of the staff was either let go or decided to bail. Chris Plante, one of the site's co-founders and former editor-in-chief, let us know through a Bluesky post, "I'm no longer with Polygon. If you're hiring, please consider the many talented writers and editors now on the market. Every one of them deserves a spot on your staff. I won't be talking more about the sale because I wasn't involved."
It's worth mentioning that those who lost their jobs were union members under the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE). WGAE dropped a statement of their own, stating, "With only a month left until the current union contract expires at Vox Media, the company yesterday announced it sold Polygon and laid off the bargaining unit at the site."
Among the ex-Polygon crew were special projects editor Matt Leone (who's been with them since day one and created some of their top oral histories, such as those for Street Fighter 2 and Final Fantasy 7), senior reporter Nicole Carpenter (who's known for her long-form investigative reporting), and curation editor Pete Volk (who was let go alongside "just about everyone else at Polygon").
Now, Polygon was Vox Media's third publication, launched in 2012 as a "new kind of website, built on new technology, backed by a new kind of media company." Central to its mission was focusing on long-form features and investigative reporting in the gaming sphere. Over the years, it spread its wings to other entertainment and culture areas.
Hassan Youssef, CEO of Valnet, spoke up about the sale, saying, "The addition of Polygon not only strengthens our editorial muscle but also amplifies our ability to deliver unmatched value to both audiences and advertisers."
In April, Valnet sued The Wrap over an investigative report that characterized the publisher as a "digital sweatshop." The Wrap's legal counsel describes Valnet's lawsuits as "inconsistent, contradictory, and meritless."
The 2020s have been no picnic for gaming-related media. The Washington Post's gaming section, Launcher, was shut down in 2023, and Vice's Waypoint was shuttered the same year. Long-running US magazine Game Informer was unceremoniously shuttered last year but was reopened by a new investor this year. Other publications have faced acquisitions and layoffs, like Polygon today.
Oh, and don't forget about Fandom pausing Giant Bomb live streaming as part of a strategic reset and realignment, as Kotaku reports. Fandom bought Giant Bomb in 2022.
Tyler WildeBorn and raised in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, Tyler spent his days playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later drawn to the enigma of Myst, the simulation of SimCity, the strategy of Civilization, the ferociousness of Command & Conquer, and the timeless elegance of PS1 classic Bushido Blade (yes, he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011 and now focuses on the website's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and clocking up 1,200+ hours in Rocket League.
- The departure of Chris Plante, one of Polygon's co-founders and former editor-in-chief, signals the beginning of a new era for the gaming website.
- The recent layoffs at Polygon, which saw the departure of special projects editor Matt Leone, senior reporter Nicole Carpenter, and curation editor Pete Volk, have been met with concern from the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE).
- The 2020s have been a challenging period for gaming-related media, with notable closures such as The Washington Post's gaming section, Launcher, in 2023, Vice's Waypoint the same year, and a temporary shutdown of Fandom's Giant Bomb live streaming as part of a strategic reset and realignment.
- As Polygon expands its focus beyond gaming to other entertainment and culture areas, its new owner, Valnet, sees the acquisition as a way to strengthen its editorial muscle and amplify its ability to deliver value to both audiences and advertisers.
- Amidst the reported layoffs at Polygon and other publications in the gaming industry, Tyler Wilde, a long-time gaming enthusiast who joined PC Gamer in 2011, continues to focus on news coverage in the gaming sphere.
- In April, Valnet sued The Wrap over an investigative report that characterized the publisher as a "digital sweatshop," a lawsuit that The Wrap's legal counsel describes as "inconsistent, contradictory, and meritless."
- The business landscape of social media in the entertainment industry has seen its fair share of acquisitions and layoffs, with Polygon being the latest example among others like Fandom pausing Giant Bomb live streaming as part of a strategic reset and realignment, as reported by Kotaku.
