Polygon Acquired by Valnet, Hit With Layoffs

Polygon, a popular gaming website, has been bought out by Valnet Inc., the corporation that manages platforms like Screen Rant and Game Rant. Consequently, significant reductions in workforce have taken place within Polygon due to this acquisition. The video game sector, over the past ten years or so, has grown progressively volatile. With online content creation on the rise, there’s been an abundance of resources for gaming news and viewpoints. Today, anyone can share their thoughts, making the industry fiercely competitive. This competition has led many websites to reduce staff or restructure their operations to remain viable, a situation that includes selling sites to other companies.

Valnet, a significant player in the media industry with more than two dozen sites spanning gaming, movies, comics, and sports, is well-known for popular platforms like Screen Rant, Game Rant, and Collider – some of the larger entertainment websites around. However, Valnet has faced criticism due to concerns about employee compensation and treatment. It’s worth noting that Polygon, another popular media outlet, will soon be part of the Valnet family, although it appears that many of its original writers may not be making the transition for this new phase of the website.

As a former Polygon writer, I recently found myself out of work, joining several other veteran colleagues who shared the same fate on Bluesky. While the details remain scarce, Kotaku reports that Valnet has taken over the site from its previous owner Vox Media. At this point, it’s uncertain how many of us will continue working for Polygon or what changes Valnet has in store for the website. Given Valnet’s history of employing a large number of freelancers to generate content across their network of sites, it seems probable that they’ll follow a similar approach with Polygon – though the exact extent remains unknown at this time.

I’ve moved on from Polygon, but that doesn’t mean they’re without exceptional writers and editors. If you’re looking for new talent, these individuals should definitely be on your radar. Each one brings unique skills to the table that would greatly benefit your team. I won’t discuss the sale any further as it wasn’t part of my purview. Instead, I’m off to spend quality time with my child. I’ll seize opportunities where I can.

— Chris Plante (@plante.bsky.social) 2025-05-01T15:25:52.013Z

One of the most prominent gaming media platforms, Polygon, is recognized for its top-notch journalism. Among the numerous pieces that I admire on their site, there’s a standout short documentary titled “Finding John Marston,” which features Rob Wiethoff, the actor who portrays John Marston in Red Dead Redemption. This captivating video was published not long after the initial launch of the game and offers an insightful look into the actor’s life prior to and post his role in Rockstar’s western masterpiece. If you haven’t already, I strongly encourage you to watch it and explore some of Polygon’s other engaging content from their extensive archive.

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2025-05-01 19:10