IGN Ownership Chooses Busiest Time For Games Media In Years To Lay A Bunch Of People Off [Update]

Key Points:

• Ziff Davis has laid off multiple IGN staff across various departments just two months before the highly anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto VI, impacting notable presenters like Seth Macy and Brian Altano, as well as tech writer Bo Moore.
• These layoffs continue a pattern of staff reductions at IGN and other Ziff Davis-owned sites, including Eurogamer and RockPaperShotgun, following previous rounds of cuts in 2023 and 2024.
• The IGN Creators Guild stated they were blindsided by the layoffs, which affected both union and non-union employees, and criticized the company for increasing workloads and anxiety among remaining staff without clear justification.
• The union revealed that at least four union members were laid off, with another employee facing a forced relocation ultimatum or termination, raising concerns about a possible push to end remote work at IGN.
• IGN Creators Guild leadership emphasized the negative impact of ongoing layoffs on the company’s core operations and expressed frustration over the lack of advance notice and transparency from management.