'The Final Level': Popular GameStop magazine Game Informer ends, abruptly lays off staff

Gamers are grieving the end of an era as magazine Game Informer has reached 100% completion.

The GameStop-owned magazine announced its closure Friday after 33 years of offering "news, reviews and insights from the ever-evolving world of gaming." The outlet thanked its audience for decades of support in a farewell post titled "The Final Level. The post was not written by editorial staff who were laid off Friday without prior warning.

"From the early days of pixelated adventures to today’s immersive virtual reality realms, we’ve been honored to share this incredible journey with you, our loyal readers," the post reads. "While our presses may stop, the passion for gaming that we’ve cultivated together will continue to live on. Thank you for being part of our epic quest, and may your own gaming adventures never end."

In June, Game Informer published its final issue out of 367 dedicated to the game "Dragon Age: The Veilguard," the fourth in the fantasy franchise.

In 1991, the outlet published its first issue under Minnesota-based retailer FuncoLand, which GameStop later acquired in 2000. By 2011, Game Informer would become the third-largest magazine in the U.S. partly thanks to a boost it received from GameStop’s PowerUp Rewards membership program, Variety reported.

Staff abruptly laid off ahead of next issue

The entire Game Informer staff was laid off as the team nearly finished working on the next issue, Content Director Kyle Hilliard wrote on X Friday.

"Game Informer has been closed down by GameStop and the entire, incredibly talented staff (including myself) have all been laid off," Hilliard wrote. "A frustrating turn of events (especially considering we were about 70% done with the next issue and it was going to have a GREAT cover)."

Hilliard clarified that the state of the website is "completely out of our hands" and that staff have not been able to receive answers to their questions.

USA TODAY has reached out to GameStop for comment.

Gaming community mourns magazine's end

Many took to social media to express their love for the outlet and its tragic end, including Neil Druckmann, head of Creative at video game developer Naughty Dog and creator of HBO's "The Last of Us."

"Farewell indeed. As someone who grew up poring over each issue, it was such a thrill and an honor to see our games grace Game Informer," Druckmann wrote on X. "Sad that such a staple of our industry is now gone. Good luck to everyone involved. Your work will be missed."

Former Nintendo PR manager Kit Ellis also shared his appreciation for the magazine on X, recalling a cover he worked on for the game "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild."

"Game Informer brought out the best of the games industry," Ellis wrote. "I worked on this cover and its iconic artwork literally would not exist if their team did not push us to deliver something incredible. It's a profound loss for all of us."