For over 30 years, Game Informer has delivered gaming news, reviews, and content to the gaming community. Its trusted brand became a pop culture staple, reliably delivering independent thoughts and information for readers. Unfortunately, over the last couple of years, the future of Game Informer has been in flux. The former parent company, GameStop, waffled back and forth on what to do with the magazine. After repeated changes in direction, it finally shut down in August 2024, 33 years after its original launch. But now, the magazine is back and is ready to welcome readers back into the fold.
What Happened to Game Informer?
For most of its conception, Game Informer was a print magazine. As technology became more prevalent, they added digital versions of the magazine as well. Towards the end of 2022 through 2024, Game Informer shifted its model. The magazine chose to eliminate print versions of their magazine and offer digital-only copies moving forward. The intent was to save money to be able to reinvest in the magazine to make it profitable. If they did not have to spend money on ink, paper, and postage, they could focus on just producing the stories.
The magazine company then heard the reaction from long-time readers. Many of these subscribers missed the print version of the magazine. Much like with physical copies of video games, a lot of gamers like to be able to own a concrete version of the material, and read on paper as opposed to a screen. Hearing their plea, the Game Informer staff was able to convince their parent company, GameStop, to begin production of print magazines once again.
Unfortunately, this didn’t last. In August 2024, GameStop abruptly pulled the plug on the entire magazine. No digital or print versions were to be produced, and the final issue was issue 368. The entire team was laid off, and the website was taken down. Not only did readers lose the magazine seemingly out of nowhere, but they also lost access to archives and the daily information that Game Informer was known for producing. At that point, it seemed like the end of the road for the former gaming magazine giant.
How Is Game Informer Able to Make A Return?
On March 19th, 2025, the previously quiet social media accounts of the magazine sprung to life and began teasing a possible return. This return was confirmed on March 25th, 2025. The Game Informer website came back online with a letter from the editor explaining the exciting news. While we do not know the exact date that the print magazines will return, they will be returning at some point soon.
It seems when Game Informer was shut down, even the staff was shocked. They had received almost no warning that it was coming. Once it occurred, the team started looking for other possible options. Using their passion and the backing of a plethora of dedicated fans, the Game Informer brand was able to find a company willing to buy them from GameStop. This company, Gunzilla Games, not only encouraged the return of the magazine but even brought the entire staff back on the payroll.
Both the magazine and their new parent company agreed that a strength of the magazine was its ability to be independent and unbiased. Let the writers and editorial team decide what would be more impactful for their readers, and give them the flexibility to write unhindered. This should allow Game Informer to stick with the reliable, impactful content they have been known for over the years.
With their website back up, the team has already been releasing gaming news and even backlogged reviews and awards the team had played while the company was in its purgatory. They also let readers know that the print magazine will be returning, although an exact date is not yet known. Game Informer is asking people to register for a free account on their website, which gives them a feel for the number of people interested in the print magazine as well as earns subscribers access to over 100 of their past magazine archives.
The Future For Game Informer Appears Bright
The future of the magazine industry, especially the gaming magazine industry, has been a concern for a while now. Other large-name magazine companies, such as Play, have also had to shutter their doors in recent months. Before the return of Game Informer, there were only a few gaming magazines still in print production, including Edge, PC Gamer, and RetroGamer. The return of Game Informer fills a cross-platform void that had left a gap in print coverage.
With a new company on board that just purchased the rights to the magazine, Game Informer should be given plenty of leeway to prove itself. It should not have to worry, at least in the short term, about having the rug pulled out again the way GameStop had. This should give readers the confidence to return to the content they love and support the team that has fought to bring their content back. While the parent company is new, the quality is not, and that is something for all gamers to celebrate.
