US EditionGaming news site Polygon gutted by massive layoffs amid sale to Valnet
- Vox Media sold the video game website Polygon to Montreal-based digital media company Valnet in early May 2025, coinciding with major staff layoffs.
- The sale followed economic uncertainty and industry shifts while internal layoffs mirrored broader cuts at Vox Media since late 2024.
- Polygon launched in 2012 as a premier gaming outlet under Vox, known for original reviews and cultural analysis across gaming and entertainment.
- Co-Founder Chris Plante urged hiring the displaced staff, saying, "Every one of them deserves a spot on your staff," after multiple senior reporters confirmed job losses.
- Critics label Valnet a clickbait content mill with exploitative work conditions, raising concerns about Polygon's editorial future after integration with Valnet's gaming portfolio.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Losing Polygon is a Huge Blow to Games Journalism
I’ve been struggling the last couple of days with how I wanted to talk about the news of Polygon getting bought out and the incredible writers losing their jobs. Mainly because I’m aware of the position from which I speak on this. Dwayne will tell you: I was very apprehensive about joining VICE. But I saw an opportunity to change some things in my life and took the leap. POLYGON WAS IMPORTANT This situation sucks, and there’s no way to sugarco…
WGA East Decries Polygon’s Sale To Valnet & Fifth Round Of Layoffs Since November As “Self-Defeating” & “Short-Sighted”
The Writers Guild of America East did not mince its words when addressing the news that Vox Media had sold video game website Polygon, reportedly resulting in mass layoffs. Pointing out that there was only about a month left on the current contract between the WGAE and Vox Media, the union called Polygon an “essential […]
Polygon Acquired by Porn Mogul Who Co-Founded Brazzers
Polygon, Vox Media’s video games website, has been acquired by Valnet, a company founded and helmed by Hassan Youssef, a former pornography mogul and the co-founder of the popular adult entertainment site Brazzers. The news, which broke first on social media via various Polygon writers and editors saying that they suddenly don’t have a job, came as a shock to both Polygon staff and readers. Media in general has been suffering from regular layoff…
Polygon Sold to GameRant Owner Valnet Followed by Immediate Mass Layoffs of Polygon Staffers
Polygon, the gaming site that was once a flagship brand of Vox Media's digital publishing empire, has been sold to Valnet—the Canadian media conglomerate behind GameRant, ScreenRant, TheGamer, and a slew of other SEO-focused websites. The post Polygon Sold to GameRant Owner Valnet Followed by Immediate Mass Layoffs of Polygon Staffers appeared first on That Park Place.
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