Game Informer

 ( Www.gameinformer.com Official Website ) 

In 2000, Barnes & Noble acquired and merged several companies which led to the formation of GameStop Corp.; that year, both FuncoLand and Game Informer were purchased by GameStop. In 2001, Cathy Preston became the magazine's publisher; Preston had been working as part of the production team since 2000. It was under her that the publication became an integral part of GameStop's customer loyalty program, Power Up Rewards. In 2019, McNamara was still the magazine's EIC. In 2020, Preston retired from Game Informer after 20 years. Mary Lugones took over the role as publisher for Game Informer.

In 2010, Game Informer became the 5th largest magazine in the US with 5 million copies sold, ahead of popular publications like Time magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Playboy. By 2011, Game Informer had become the 3rd largest magazine in the US, topping 8 million copies circulated. However, in 2014 it had fallen to 4th place with 6.9 million copies sold. Figures in 2017 placed the magazine at 4th place with over 7 million copies sold. The financial success of Game Informer has been attributed to its good relationship with publishers, ties to GameStop, and the lack of gaming-magazine competition.

In August 2019, after months of declining financials for GameStop, about half of the current Game Informer staff were let go, part of the larger cut of more than 120 jobs by GameStop as part of the store's effort to improve their financial performance. These included some staff members that had been working at Game Informer for over 10 years, some were out on vacation during the time of the layoff. As a result of the layoff, other Game Informer staff also left of their own will, including video editor Ben Hanson. Ben Hanson eventually started his own podcast called MinnMax, in the process recruiting some of the Game Informer staff that was laid off. In March 2020, there was again another set of layoffs at Game Informer, this time not affecting editors but instead people who worked in other departments of Game Informer.

In late June 2020, longtime EIC McNamara announced he was leaving Game Informer, to be the Global Director of Integrated Comms for Shooters & Star Wars at Electronic Arts, and that former senior editor Andrew Reiner would be taking his place as EIC. McNamara, who had at the time stopped reviewing games for Game Informer, instead focused solely on writing stories and behind the scenes work, came back to give his final review, The Last of Us Part II. After leaving Game Informer, he eventually said that the layoffs had a big impact on his decision to move on.

On November 4, 2021, the official website announced that every issue from then on would have a small print run variant known as Game Informer Gold. This version uses high quality paper and an alternate cover and is limited to 50 copies. The first copy was given away on November 6 for their Extra Life charity livestream.

In July 2022, three more Game Informer staff were laid off: John Carson, Wesley LeBlanc, and Creative Director Jeff Akervik, who had worked at the publication for over 14 years. Later that month, LeBlanc was rehired after the departure of Jill Grodt. Andrew Reiner left Game Informer in September 2022 to become a game developer, thus leaving Game Informer with no original staff. Matt Miller, who has worked at Game Informer since 2004, was promoted to EIC. In Fall 2022, Kyle Hilliard (who was previously laid off) returned.

Game Informer launched a new print magazine subscription, standalone from GameStop's Power Up Rewards, in March 2024. The program, which launched at a special annual price of $19.91 (commemorating the company's founding year), offers 10 print issues per year and digital magazine access.

On August 2, 2024, GameStop leadership abruptly shuttered the publication and laid off its staff. The publication's website was replaced with a static "farewell" page, making old articles unreadable. The July 2024 issue was its 368th and final issue. Current and former staff bemoaned the sudden closure. Morgan Park of PC Gamer reported that GameStop announced the shutdown publicly on the Game Informer X account, however, the " Game Informer staff suggested they had nothing to do with the brief, cringey statement that reads like ChatGPT output". Park highlighted that the Game Informer X account went briefly active on August 5, 2024, when "a former Game Informer staffer seemingly took the reins one last time to share a proper farewell" which included images of the Game Informer masthead; after this farewell was posted, the Game Informer X account was wiped and "no longer exists, just like the website. It seems GameStop didn't appreciate Game Informer wanting to go out on its own terms". Aftermath then published a roundup from former Game Informer staff to eulogize the magazine in their own words.

GI Online was revived, at the same domain name, in September 2003, with a full redesign and many additional features, such as a review database, frequent news updates, and exclusive "Unlimited" content for subscribers. It was managed by Billy Berghammer, creator of PlanetGameCube.com (now known as NintendoWorldReport.com). In 2010, Berghammer was the editor-in-chief at EGM Media Group.

In March 2009, the online staff began creating the code for what would be the latest redesign to date. The redesign was to release hand-in-hand with the magazine's own redesign. On October 1, 2009, the newly redesigned website was live, with a welcome message from Editor-In-Chief Andy McNamara. Many new features were introduced, including a rebuilt media player, a feed highlighting the site activity of the website's users, and the ability to create user reviews. At the same time, the magazine's podcast, The Game Informer Show, was launched.Andy Mcnamara, September 29, 2009, The Inaugural Game Informer Show: Episode 1 Game Informer

When the magazine folded in 2024, the website's content was deleted and replaced with a splash page announcing the closure for any links to the website. Aftermath reported that there are independent archival projects "in the works".

Game Informer Australia was closed down on April 18, 2019, as a result of cost-cutting measures from its publishing company EB Games. GI Australia editor David Milner noted on Twitter that despite the fact that "readership was up 19% over the last year", that "Recent ad sales, however, did not really reflect this"; he also noted the failed attempt at EB Games Australia's corporate parent GameStop to find a buyer after months on the market, causing their shares to drop.