IGN acquires competitor Gamer Network's website portfolio amidst industry consolidation

IGN Entertainmenthas acquired the website portfolio of UK publisher Gamer Network, which portfolio consists of other key gaming publications and direct competitors to IGN, such as Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun, GamesIndustry.biz, and VG247, among others. The acquisition has led to an unknown number of job cuts across these sites.

The specifics of the agreement between IGN Entertainment and Gamer Network have not been made public, but following the acquisition, editors from Rock Paper Shotgun and GamesIndustry.biz acknowledged the layoffs.

The acquisition reflects the ongoing trend of industry consolidation, as larger companies absorb smaller ones, altering the gaming media industry. The industry is currently experiencing significant changes due to factors such as AI developments, alterations in Google algorithms, and evolving editorial strategies. The impact of these shifts on the overall gaming media ecosystem, including content quality and editorial diversity, remains unclear.