Gaming site Polygon sold and numerous employees directly laid off
On Thursday, Vox Media sold the gaming site Polygon, and numerous editors were apparently laid off immediately.
(Image: Shutterstock.com/Tero Vesalainen)
The US media group Vox Media has sold the gaming magazine Polygon and apparently a whole series of editors were made redundant immediately afterward. This is evident from the press release and numerous short messages from those affected. The site was bought by the Canadian media company Valnet, which already operates various magazines on games, films and comics and is also behind XDA Developers. According to ArsTechnica, Valnet is also known for "exploitative working conditions and fast-moving clickbait content".
Shocked reactions
The layoffs yesterday, May 1, apparently came as a complete surprise to those laid off. Reporter Petrana Radulovic wrote on Bluesky that at the beginning of the week she was still thinking about how much she loved her work, "and now I no longer have my job". Her colleague Ana Diaz describes herself as "gutted, sad and completely screwed". In the same post, she berates Vox Media for doing "this shit" on May Day. Another editor, Matt Leone, expresses his frustration at being unexpectedly laid off, writing, "obviously I don't have a job anymore."
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Polygon has been around since 2012 and has quickly established itself as an important part of reporting on games and the gaming scene. For Valnet, the takeover is an "impressive confirmation of its extensive commitment to the gaming sector", in which it has been investing for years, explains CEO Hassan Youssef. He was one of the founders of Pornhub. It is not known how much his company paid for Polygon. However, Vox Media has stated that the transaction makes it possible to invest energy and resources in other growth areas.
(mho)
