Games Journalism Has Lost Over 1,200 Pros in Just Two Years, 25% Vanish From Top Sites

More than a quarter of the world’s games journalists have disappeared from major outlets in just two years. That jaw-dropping stat comes straight from Press Engine, a trusted PR platform whose database tracks the day-to-day reality of the industry. If you’ve wondered why some of your go-to game reporting feels thinner lately, here’s your answer. 1,200 professional games journalists have exited the field since late 2023, and they haven’t come back.

Mass Departure From Major Publications

Press Engine’s numbers reflect a brutal reality. In the last year alone, over 600 journalists who regularly covered games at the biggest outlets, such as IGN, Polygon, and GameSpot, vanished from the system.

It’s not just a one-off. The same trend repeated itself in the previous 12 months. That brings the running total to more than 1,200 full-time writers, editors, and reporters gone. Crucially, Press Engine says these aren’t folks simply jumping ship to different media jobs. They’re leaving the industry altogether.

The data focuses on so-called tier 1 publications, major gaming and mainstream websites that attract audiences in the millions. And in this core group, the overall pool of games journalists has shrunk by 25 percent in two years. The exits hit specialist sites hardest, with most losses coming from publications dedicated solely to games coverage.

If You Count Freelancers, It’s Even Worse

Things look even grimmer if you zoom out. Fold in part-timers, freelancers, and amateur writers, and over 4,000 people have exited the games media world since October 2023. That’s not just a talent drain, it’s a seismic shift in who gets to tell stories about games, what stories get covered, and what voices reach players.

Press Engine’s stats are built on the actual usage of their PR network. The tool helps developers and publishers send codes, news, and press releases to journalists and content creators all over the world. When those writers are no longer receiving materials and not joining other publications, the loss is crystal clear.

This isn’t isolated pain. The media layoffs keep stacking up, with even the biggest names in games reporting feeling the crunch. Just recently, TheGamer suffered widespread editorial layoffs, joining a long line of outlets that have trimmed, restructured, or shuttered altogether since the pandemic began.

There’s a simple explanation for the talent exodus. Some journalists are burned out or looking for a change after years of unrelenting crunch. But many have been pushed out by sweeping layoffs that have hit nearly every corner of the games press since COVID.

This wave of departures raises urgent questions: Who will keep the industry honest? Who’s left to dig into the stories behind the world’s biggest entertainment business? Readers, publishers, and developers now find themselves facing a media landscape forever changed—less crowded, but maybe a lot less informed.