Tencent Guts Gaming News Fanbyte site fired without warning

Layoffs today have affected a respected website dedicated to video games and entertainment. fanbait, and the site’s editor-in-chief and head of the media are listed as unemployed. According to fanbait employees, the layoffs were a complete shock, with some reporting that they had just worked with some of the fired employees an hour before the sudden layoffs.

Layoffs in fanbait is the latest bad news for a terrible week in gaming media like Future and G4TV also suffered layoffs.

Around 12:45 ET, the first signs of something amiss appeared on Twitter. About the same time John Warrenthe site’s head of media, confirmed that he had been fired from the site, and Daniel Riendeau, the site’s EIC, confirmed that she was released, too much. Since then several members fanbait announced that the company had let them go. Others are waiting to see if they have any more work, come tomorrow.

Kotaku spoke to some fanbait employees about layoffs and were told that at the moment no one really knows how widespread they are. Several employees explained that management is contacting employees one by one to break the news. As of 2:05 pm ET, at least half a dozen employees publicly announced They no more work. Based on conversations with fanbait employees, it is likely that this number will grow.

fanbait launched in 2018, although before that it existed in a different form known as Deputy. Website and Zam Network combined a subsidiary of Tencent Holdings Limitedaka Tencent, aka the largest Chinese conglomerate who continues buy up various studios, publishing houses, etc..

Since launch in 2018 fanbait strived to create interesting and unique content, including fantastic coverage of professional wrestling and ongoing coverage of popular MMOs and other live games.

Update 9/15/2022 Thursday 2:47 pm ET: Fixed two positions.