Bye, bye Gametrailers

The Escapist | Editor-in-chief 'fired', prompting multiple staff resignations

Videogaming outlet The Escapist has lost several staff, including Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw, as its editor-in-chief claims he was fired by bosses.

One of the internet’s most established videogaming outlets, The Escapist, faces a major shakeup as multiple members of staff have announce their departure.

The walkouts were sparked by the sudden ousting of editor-in-chief Nick Calandra, who on the 6th November wrote on Twitter (now X), “I was fired from The Escapist today. I have declined my severance pay and will not be signing an NDA.”

In a follow-up post, Calandra added, “I was let go for ‘not achieving goals’ that were never properly set out for us, and lack of understanding of our audience and the team that built that audience.

In the wake of Calandra’s announcement, several members of The Escapist’s editorial team announced their resignation. Among those who’ve announced they’re leaving the outlet so far are Darren Mooney, Jesse Galena, Amy Campbell and Will Cruz.

One particular high-profile departure is Ben ‘Yahtzee’ Croshaw, who for years has hosted the immensely popular (and influential) Zero Punctuation series of video reviews.

“Today, I formally resigned from The Escapist and Gamurs [the company that owns the outlet],” Croshaw wrote in his own Twitter/X announcement. “I don’t have the rights to Zero Punctuation, but whatever happens you’ll be hearing my voice again soon, in a new place.”

Link: filmstories.co.uk