Part 3/12:

Several factors contribute to this attrition. Firstly, declining web traffic and advertising revenue have made sustained coverage unviable for many outlets. Notably, traffic to multiple gaming sites has plummeted by as much as 70-90%, forcing publishers to reconsider their strategies. Big corporations owning multiple outlets—like Valnet, which owns The Gamer, Open Critic, and others—are now faced with redundancies and redundancies, leading to significant layoffs.

Secondly, the industry is experiencing a cultural shift away from traditional written articles towards podcasts, YouTube, and social media content. Audiences increasingly prefer consuming video and audio over reading long-form reviews or news stories, which has further undermined the economic model of many gaming websites.