Polygon sold to GameRant owner Valnet

Polygon, The Verge’s sister tract dedicated to gaming and entertainment, has been sold by Vox Media to Valnet, a institution that owns brands similar ScreenRant, GameRant, and Android Police. Some Polygon staffers volition proceed with the work nether its caller owner, portion others person been laid off, according to posts online and an interior connection sent to Vox Media employees.

Valnet owns much than 27 antithetic brands that screen areas similar entertainment, gaming, sports, and travel. A caller study from TheWrap includes 1 erstwhile contributor to a tract nether Valnet’s purview describing conditions arsenic “almost sweatshop-level.”

“Perfectly aligned with Valnet’s semipermanent maturation strategy, Polygon volition present integrate Valnet’s Gaming Portfolio, which includes industry-leading publications specified arsenic Game Rant, TheGamer, Fextralife, OpenCritic, DualShockers, and HardcoreGamer,” the institution said successful a property release. “This summation follows Valnet’s caller acquisition of FextraLife earlier this year, further strengthening its presumption successful the gaming media landscape. With Valnet’s proven operational excellence, Polygon is poised to scope caller editorial heights done focused concern and innovation.”

Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff said successful a connection that “this transaction volition alteration america to absorption our energies and concern resources successful different precedence areas of maturation crossed our portfolio of iconic integer publications and audio / video programming, portion enabling Valnet to turn their enactment and authorization successful the gaming accusation category.” In his connection to staff, Bankoff besides cited the existent “uncertain economical outlook” and broader changes successful the gaming manufacture arsenic contributing reasons to the sale.

“I’m nary longer with Polygon,” says erstwhile editor-in-chief Chris Plante. “If you’re hiring, delight see the galore talented writers and editors present connected the market. Every 1 of them deserves a spot connected your staff. I won’t beryllium talking much astir the merchantability due to the fact that I wasn’t involved.”

We’ve collected further posts from immoderate affected staffers below.