GameSpot Launches Another Round of Layoffs, Axing Commerce Team and VP

Commerce Team Reductions and Leadership Departures

The latest cuts at GameSpot specifically targeted the site’s commerce operations, impacting four staffers and five freelancers responsible for deals posts, buying and preorder guides, and other topics. Among those affected was deals editor Brendan Hesse, who wrote on Bluesky: “I just got laid off from GameSpot while on paid medical leave recovering from a gunshot wound,” having been on leave since July 1 after sustaining an injury during gunfire in his neighborhood. Commerce editor Colette Bennett was also affected, noting, “I was so excited to work [at GameSpot] and so sad that I only had a few months there.” Writer Jaina Rodríguez-Grey also noted on LinkedIn that her entire team at GameSpot had been fired.

Beyond the commerce department, the layoffs claimed the position of Chris Grant, the vice president of games and entertainment. Grant had joined Fandom in September 2025 to oversee GameSpot as well as other sites including Metacritic, GameFAQs, and TV Guide. Grant was a co-founder of Polygon and went to Fandom after Vox Media sold Polygon to Valnet in May 2025.

A Pattern of Staffing Instability at Fandom

The recent cuts continue a trend of redundancies at GameSpot that have persisted since Fandom purchased the site and its sister properties for approximately $50 million. Editor Mark Delaney noted on Bluesky that the site has had five layoffs since Fandom purchased it from previous owner Red Ventures in October 2022.

Employees have expressed frustration with the frequency of these events. During a previous round of cuts, senior producer Jake Dekker remarked, “I think this is the FOURTH round of layoffs we’ve had since they acquired GameSpot in 2022. This industry f**king sucks, man.” Other staff have shared similar sentiments following the news, with senior editor Chris Hayner writing: “So hey, if you need someone who can write/edit/manage/work with video/work with marketing and branded/work with social/work with SEO/do any of the 20 thousand other things I did at Fandom and GameSpot, I’m here.” Host and senior producer Dave Klein also confirmed his departure, stating, “Just a massive layoff. I’m not the only one affected by it.”

These layoffs follow earlier periods of instability. In May 2025, sister site Giant Bomb saw several high-profile departures after a podcast episode featuring staffers mocking Fandom’s brand safety guidelines was taken down; Giant Bomb went independent later that month. In January 2023, Fandom had also made an unspecified number of layoffs at GameSpot, Giant Bomb, Metacritic, and TV Guide, impacting less than 10% of the company’s total workforce of less than 500 employees. Those earlier cuts affected staff including entertainment editor Mat Elfring, video producers Jess O’Brien and Jason Oestreicher, and Metacritic senior editor Danielle Turchiano.

Broader Media Contractions and Executive Transitions

The volatility in gaming media extends beyond Fandom-owned properties. The head of the biggest gaming site in the world, IGN publisher John Davison, is leaving the company at the end of August. Davison, who has been with IGN since 2019, told staff it was time for “the next chapter.” His departure follows a round of layoffs earlier in August that impacted multiple departments, including approximately 12 percent of the IGN editorial union. “The company has told us that the reason for this layoff stems from a Ziff Davis mandate to cut costs despite several quarters in a row of year-over-year revenue increases,” the IGN Creators Guild stated. Ziff Davis president of gaming and entertainment Yael Prough confirmed the departure, stating, “I want to thank John for all his contributions to IGN Entertainment over the years and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

The industry landscape has shifted significantly for many of these outlets. Digital Foundry, one of the most valuable parts of the Gamer Network package acquired by Ziff Davis, announced it had purchased all outstanding equity to allow it to leave IGN and go fully independent. As for Fandom, the company did not reply to a request for comment regarding the most recent layoffs at GameSpot.

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