It has only been a few months since IGN owner Ziff Davis purchased key Gamer Network publications including GamesIndustry.biz, RockPaperShotgun, VG247, and more.
Shortly after, a number of employees across those outlets were laid off. Now, Ziff Davis has caused another staff exodus by pushing for soft layoffs.
That’s according to Aftermath, which reports the company offered voluntary buyouts to workers who might be ready to “move 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 GamesIndustry.biz
In the past few weeks, GamesIndustry.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 telling Aftermath that around six employees have accepted buyouts.
In July, another Ziff Davis subsidiary, Humble Games, said it was “undergoing restructuring” after multiple outlets reported the entire company had been effectively shuttered and its 36-strong team laid off. The news caused uncertainty among developers working with the publisher, which was spun off from Humble Bundle.
One current Ziff employee and another former Humble staffer told Aftermath “a lot” of Humble staff accepted the buyout 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 said leadership has yet to explain how it intends to deliver stability moving forward. They said 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 industry in recent years, with corporations like Ziff Davis regularly putting workers to the sword in the wake of hefty mergers and acquisitions.