Game Informer returned in 2025, so it is no longer accurate to describe the magazine as gone. But GameStop’s abrupt shutdown on August 2, 2024, and the removal of the publication’s website made the loss feel immediate and personal to readers, former staff, and people in the games industry.
What happened to Game Informer
GameStop closed Game Informer on August 2, 2024, and laid off its staff. The closure came without a long public wind-down: contemporary reports said employees were told that day, while the next issue was still unfinished. GameSpot reported that issue #367, published in June 2024, was the last completed issue (GameSpot, August 2, 2024).
Game Informer had published since 1991. Game Developer traces its start to an August 1991 debut as a six-page, bimonthly magazine; it became monthly in 1994. Over time, print distribution became closely tied to GameStop’s loyalty rewards program, though the magazine was also sold in stores (Game Developer, August 2, 2024).
At the time, the closure statement described 33 years of bringing readers news, reviews, and insights. The Washington Post later reported that circulation had reached about 8 million in 2011, when the magazine was the nation’s third-largest; that is a historical estimate, not a current circulation figure (The Washington Post, August 2, 2024).
Why the shutdown resonated beyond one magazine
For readers, Game Informer was often part of how they learned to treat gaming as a lasting interest, not just a pastime. In his 2025 return letter, editor-in-chief Matt Miller said readers wrote about growing up with the publication. He called it “a gateway into gaming as a dedicated hobby” for many, and “the spark that led to a career in gaming” for some (Game Informer, March 21, 2025).
The reaction also reflected the magazine’s place in games journalism and in the industry’s visual culture. The Washington Post’s Gene Park highlighted its features, career influence, and cover art. Former Nintendo of America communications staffer Kit Ellis described the publication’s role in pushing for ambitious cover artwork: “Game Informer brought out the best of the games industry. I worked on this cover and its iconic artwork literally would not exist if their team did not push us to deliver something incredible. It’s a profound loss for all of us.”
Miller described the response to the closure as a surprise to the team: “After more than 30 years of publication, it felt like a genuine loss that reverberated beyond our close-knit team.” That testimony conveys the personal weight of the shutdown without implying that the industry’s response can be measured as a single, quantified wave of grief.
The shutdown also took the archive offline
When Game Informer’s website was taken down, readers lost access to its accumulated reporting, data, artwork, and photography as well as its current stories. The Washington Post reported that readers and former staff at MinnMax tried to rescue material. The episode made clear that a publication’s disappearance can put decades of digital work at risk alongside its print identity.
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In the 2025 relaunch letter, Miller said the website and years of back content were back online, inviting readers to browse thousands of articles. That establishes the return of the site and a substantial archive, but not that every historical item or artifact was restored.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Game Informer returned in 2025
On March 21, 2025, Miller announced that Game Informer was back. The return followed the acquisition of the brand and outlet’s rights by Gunzilla Games; the publication operates under Game Informer Inc. Miller said the full team working at the time of the 2024 closure had returned, daily editorial updates had resumed, and a print magazine was planned to return. The announcement framed the relaunch as a continuation of the publication rather than proof that the disruption never happened.
In explaining why the team pursued a return, Miller wrote: “It felt like something that shouldn’t be abandoned without a fight.” The result is a story with two real parts: a sudden shutdown that cut off staff and readers in 2024, followed by a revival that restored the site and brought the team back in 2025.
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