Polygon, The Verge’s former sister website devoted to masking gaming and leisure, is now owned by Valnet, an organization that owns greater than 27 completely different manufacturers masking gaming, leisure, sports activities, journey, and extra. The transition is, let’s say, ongoing: a day after the acquisition, the location nonetheless mentioned it was a Vox Media property, and the location’s protection continued kind of uninterrupted.
But Valnet has certainly acquired Polygon, so to be taught extra concerning the deal, why the corporate acquired it, and the way forward for the location, I received on the telephone with Valnet’s head of mergers and acquisitions, Rony Arzoumanian.
Polygon is a “triple-A gaming model” that Valnet has been of “excessive curiosity” for “a while,” Arzoumanian mentioned. Valnet’s gaming portfolio additionally contains GameRant, TheGamer, Fextralife, DualShockers, Hardcore Gamer, and OpenCritic. Arzoumanian mentioned the corporate is “bullish” on gaming protection.
We suppose Polygon has loads of potential and might be far more.
Valnet initiated the Polygon deal, and Arzoumanian mentioned the conversations began a “few months in the past.” He declined to share the phrases of the deal.
Going ahead, Valnet desires to make sure that Polygon has the “deepest” protection of the gaming area, Arzoumanian mentioned. He declined to share particular protection expectations, however mentioned Valnet will “do what’s proper for Polygon” and that “we predict Polygon has loads of potential and might be far more.”
Around 10 present Polygon staffers are transferring over to the location’s new proprietor, Arzoumanian mentioned. Matt Patches, who was beforehand Polygon’s government editor, is heading issues up for now. Valnet can be “rebuilding” the crew, investing in its operations, and ensuring it builds Polygon “for the following 5 to 10 years,” in keeping with Arzoumanian.
Valnet desires to recruit “triple-A” writers and editors for Polygon, Arzoumanian mentioned. When I requested about what the stability may be of full-time hires and contractors, Arzoumanian deferred on specifics, however mentioned “we’ll do it proper.” Arzoumanian additionally deferred on whether or not Polygon would rent one other editor-in-chief, saying that proper now, the main target is on guaranteeing continuity following the shut of the deal.
The sale resulted in most of Polygon’s workers leaving or being laid off, together with former editor-in-chief Chris Plante. Chris Grant, Vox Media’s group writer of The Verge and previously Polygon, mentioned that “Valnet actually refused to fulfill with me or reply a single query of mine all through this course of.” (It all added to what become a brutal day for gaming journalism, which additionally included the information of Fandom’s modifications for Giant Bomb.)
I requested Arzoumanian about Grant’s submit, studying him the a part of the sentence I quoted above and asking if it was true. Arzoumanian mentioned that Valnet “predominantly dealt” with Jim Bankoff, Vox Media’s CEO, and that “I’m not ready to reply that, sadly.”
Valnet plans to maintain Polygon’s archives accessible, Arzoumanian mentioned, that means we gained’t see a repeat of GameQuit’s Thanos-snap disappearance of Game Informer’s archives. (Game Informer, happily, is again now.) When I requested if Valnet plans to introduce AI-generated tales onto Polygon, which has been a disconcerting pattern at different publications, Arzoumanian mentioned, “under no circumstances.”
I additionally requested if Valnet extra broadly is making modifications in response to a latest report about Valnet from TheWrap, which included an allegation from one former contributor about “virtually sweatshop-level” working circumstances at a Valnet publication. Arzoumanian pointed me to Valnet’s press launch about its latest defamation lawsuit filed in opposition to The Wrap.
A 12 months from now, Arzoumanian mentioned he doesn’t count on issues to be that completely different. Valnet desires to keep up course and maintain investing within the model. He deferred to the operations facet of Valnet on whether or not the corporate desires Polygon to change to scored opinions.
