Over seven months since it was shut down by parent company GameStop, venerated gaming publication Game Informer has returned under new ownership. Gunzilla Games, maker of the Web3 game Off the Grid, announced it has acquired the magazine and website and has also rehired the original team. Game Informer had previously run for 33 years and was the longest-running gaming publication in the U.S. when it became part of GameStop’s spate of layoffs.
Editor-in-chief Matt Miller confirmed in a blog post that the entire had been rehired — “from editorial to production and beyond” — and added that the publication will remain independent while operating as Game Informer Inc. It’s also reinstated its website, which was previously taken down with only a single page announcing the shutdown. Miller also adds that they plan on bringing back the print publication and to expand member and subscriber benefits.
Miller said in the post, “From the start, the new owners insisted on the idea of Game Informer remaining an independent editorial outlet; they felt just as strongly as our team did that the only path forward was with an editorial group that made 100 percent of the decisions around what we cover and how we do so, without any influence from them or anyone else.”
New owner Gunzilla Games is best known as a Web3 gaming company which operates its own GUNZ blockchain. It’s presently working on a third-person battle royale shooter called Off the Grid for PC and console that offers asset ownership and an a player-driven economy.
Vlad Korolov, Gunzilla CEO, said in a statement, “We are proud to welcome the talented voices behind Game Informer in the Gunzilla Games family, and join their fight to preserve the heart of video game journalism in what has been a tumultuous time for the industry. Its legacy spans over 33 years, the publication has had a dedicated readership since its inception and still holds a special place in the hearts of many players across multiple generations — including us.”
Neill Blomkamp, the creator of films like District 9, is creative director for Off the Grid.