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Nothing lasts forever under the moon, a lesson recently learned by the staff of Game Informer—the oldest gaming magazine in the U.S., which had been in publication for over three decades. The magazine has now closed, leaving its journalists without jobs, and its owners are issuing apologies via ChatGPT.
Game Informer had been in print since August 1991, making it the longest-running gaming magazine in the U.S. It also had an online presence. All of this has now vanished: the website is closed, the magazine will no longer be published, and the editorial team is now out of work. Even Game Informer’s account on the social network X has been deleted.
The closure was not without drama. Initially, a statement about the shutdown appeared on the website, attributed to the owners from GameStop. Shortly after, a farewell message from the editorial team was posted on X, expressing deep disappointment with the decision and wishing readers well. This post was soon deleted. It was then discovered that the original farewell message was likely written by ChatGPT. Users noticed several telltale signs, and journalist Jason Schreier asked the AI to draft a farewell message for a closing gaming portal, resulting in a remarkably similar text.
Despite the controversy, this won’t change the outcome for Game Informer. Even in its final years, the magazine remained a valuable source of information, featuring exclusive interviews and collaborations with gaming companies eager to share early game details. Press F to pay respects.
