TheGamer
 | |
Type of site | News website |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Headquarters | |
| Owner | Valnet |
| Key people | Kirk McKeand, Stacey Henley |
| URL | www |
| Users | 7 million+ (monthly readers) |
| Current status | Active |
TheGamer is a news website launched in 2017 by media company Valnet. The website reports on and reviews video games.[1] It is based in Canada.[2]
History
[edit]TheGamer was launched in 2017 by Valnet as news website covering gaming.[1] In 2020, TheGamer chose former VG247 editor Kirk McKeand as its editor-in-chief. Valnet said that the website has grown in popularity since its launch, claiming its visited by 7 million users monthly.[3] TheGamer said that it supports diversity and has published articles discussing issues such as intersectionality, racism and transphobia.[4]
In July 2021, Kirk McKeand said that TheGamer will not cover games created by Activision Blizzard to protest its alleged bad work environment.[5][6] In February 2023, new editor-in-chief Stacey Henley announced that TheGamer won’t review or report on Hogwarts Legacy to protest J.K. Rowling's views on transgender people.[2] On April 4, 2023, TheGamer along with other publications were nominated for 2023 MCV/Develop Awards as "Media Brand of the Year".[7]
In October 2025, various editors of TheGamer were fired due to mass layoffs. In an interview, the editors said that sections of the website's editorial team have been “decimated”.[8] Both affected and remaining employees of TheGamer shared information about the incident on social media, claiming the directive came from Valnet.[9] In May 2026, Valnet announced a new payment system for some of TheGamer editors, calling it “Pay Per Session". Depending on their role in writing the article, editors will be paid between $3 and $8 if it gets a thousand visits. In an interview with Aftermath, editors said that the salaries of employees working under the new system had been drastically reduced, one described it as a "form of soft-layoffs”.[10][11]
Reception
[edit]In 2026, former editor of TheGamer and editor-in-chief of Startmenu Lex Luddy told Kotaku that half TheGamer's editors were in “open revolt” against the website's higher ups due to the new payment system.[12]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "TheGamer - A Valnet Publication". Valnet, Inc. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- 1 2 Totilo, Stephen (February 6, 2023). "Hogwarts Legacy video game launch becomes referendum on J.K. Rowling". Axios News.
- ↑ Owen, Ryan (August 19, 2020). "VG247 Veteran Kirk McKeand Joins TheGamer.com as Editor-In-Chief". EIN News.
- ↑ Henley, Stacey (December 15, 2021). "TheGamer's Past, Present, And Future". TheGamer.
- ↑ Notis, Ari (July 26, 2021). "Some Gaming Websites, YouTube Channels Halt Coverage Of Activision Blizzard Games". Kotaku.
- ↑ Sinclair, Brendan (July 23, 2021). "Gaming outlets halt Activision Blizzard coverage". GamesIndustry.biz.
- ↑ Pavey, Vince (April 4, 2023). "Here are the finalists for the 2023 MCV/DEVELOP Awards!". MCV/Develop. ISSN 1469-4832.
- ↑ Middler, Jordan (October 22, 2025). "TheGamer website suffers widespread editorial layoffs". Video Games Chronicle.
- ↑ McKenzie, Theodore (October 23, 2025). "Gaming Website TheGamer Has Been "Decimated" By Layoffs". Level 80.
- ↑ MacLeod, Riley (May 25, 2026). "Workers At TheGamer Say Site's New Pay-Per-Session Contract Is 'Heartbreaking'". Aftermath.
- ↑ Argüello, Diego (May 27, 2026). "Report: Payment for some TheGamer staff now tied to per-article sessions". Game Developer.
- ↑ Parker, Lewis (May 23, 2026). "Video Game Website Has Controversial Plan To Only Pay Per Click". Kotaku.