The video game website Polygon just got sold to Valnet, a click-farm powerhouse, and a bunch of people got laid off, according to Kotaku. The sale was announced in a press release, and several staff members have been talking online about losing their jobs or how their colleagues are now unemployed. Chris Plante, the co-founder and EIC of Polygon, said, “I’m no longer with Polygon. If you’re hiring, please consider the many talented writers and editors now on the market. Every one of them deserves a spot on your staff. I won’t be talking more about the sale because I wasn’t involved. Going to hang out with my kid. Taking wins where I can.” The press release confirming the sale didn’t mention the layoffs, and the price of the deal wasn’t disclosed. Kotaku’s sources mentioned that Deputy Editor Maddy Myers and Games Editor Zoë Hannah are still at Polygon, but Executive Editor Chelsea Stark said that over 20 staff members got laid off. Vox Media didn’t respond right away to a request for comment. Senior Reporter Nicole Carpenter shared, “I’ll say more later, but I no longer have a job. I’m looking for work, as are so many of my amazing colleagues. I have lots of ideas and things I’d like to write. I’m really in shock.” Senior Writer Michael McWhertor posted, “I had a great time working at Polygon. Please let me know if you have any cool job openings!”
Founded in 2012 under Vox Media, Polygon quickly became one of the top outlets for original reviews, reporting, and cultural analysis in the gaming world. Their coverage of video games, movies, TV, comics, and board games is some of the best out there, and their design sensibility helped elevate the way stories were presented online. Valnet, based in Montreal, runs Screen Rant, Game Rant, Comic Book Resources, and other big aggregators. Hassan Youssef, who started in digital media with online porn websites, leads the company. Youssef said, “The addition of Polygon not only strengthens our editorial muscle but also amplifies our ability to deliver unmatched value to both audiences and advertisers.”
In a report by TheWrap earlier this year, former contributors accused Valnet’s media holdings of being exploitative content mills. A former Collider contributor said, “In journalism, there are really bad jobs. And then there is a place like Valnet, one of the worst places that I’ve ever worked and is probably one of the worst journalism publications I’ve ever seen.” Valnet responded to the investigation by suing TheWrap for libel, claiming the reporting was full of errors and had caused the company’s founder “tremendous emotional distress.”
The Vox Media Union criticized the sale and layoffs, happening while they’re negotiating their next contract. They said, “Losing Polygon to such a company is not just a loss for Vox Media, but for our industry and internet culture as a whole. From a sustainability perspective, it makes little financial or long-term sense, and speaks to a lack of care and consideration for this company and its staff.”
Update 5/1/2025 5:06 p.m. ET: Vox SVP Chris Grant, who was Polygon’s founding Editor-in-Chief, shared insight into the deal and apparent frustration with it on Bluesky. “14 years ago I pitched what would become Polygon to a startup called Sports Blogs Inc on the unfurnished third floor of a DC townhome,” he wrote. “I held a laptop on my knees and went through a deck. Today that same company—now called Vox Media—sold Polygon to Valnet.” He continued, “Their press release proudly calls Polygon a ‘premium gaming publication’ but Valnet literally refused to meet with me or answer a single question of mine throughout this process. They were wildly incurious about how a gaming publication even becomes ‘premium.’ I really, truly (!) hope that the remaining Polygon team gets a chance to continue the work we all cared about so much! But somehow this is the end of my journey with the thing I created.” “My most heartfelt thanks to the entire team, I’m so sorry things ended this way.”
Update 5/1/2025 12:19 p.m. ET: Added comments from the official press release. Update 5/1/2025 4:13 p.m. ET: Added a statement from the Vox union. Update 5/1/2025 4:50 p.m. ET: Added mention of Valnet’s lawsuit.
