Giant Bomb has been sold by Fandom, will continue independently
The site has been purchased by long-time staff members
Giant Bomb has been sold by Fandom, and will continue independently.
Announced during the group’s PAX East panel, the site has been sold by Fandom to long-time staffers, Jeff Grubb, Jeff Bakalar, Dan Ryckert, Mike Minotti and Jan Ochoa.
The news was announced during the group’s PAX East panel.
“Giant Bomb is now owned by the people who make Giant Bomb, and it would not have been possible without the speedy efforts of Fandom and our mutual agreement on what’s best for fans and creators,” said Jeff Grubb and Jeff Bakalar in a joint statement.
“The future of Giant Bomb is now in the hands of our supporting community, who have always had our backs no matter what. We’ll have a lot more to say about what this looks like soon, but for now, everyone can trust that all the support we receive goes directly to this team.”
Giant Bomb will now focus on subscriptions, which have been raised from $5 to $10, as “that money now goes to us,” according to Grubb.
Former owners Fandom provided the following statement;
“Fandom has made the strategic decision to transition Giant Bomb back to its independent roots and the brand has been acquired by longtime staff and content creators, Jeff Bakalar and Jeff Grubb, who will now own and operate the site independently.
“Fans are at the core of everything we do at Fandom and we’re committed to not only serving them but also supporting the creators they love, and the sale of Giant Bomb represents a natural extension of that mission. We’re confident Giant Bomb is in good hands and its legacy will live on with Jeff and Jeff.”
Financial details of the deal weren’t disclosed.
The news comes after weeks of uncertainty around the website, which abruptly ceased livestreaming content last month. Earlier this week, the 888th episode of the Giant Bombcast, one of the longest-running video game podcasts of all time, was published and then swiftly removed.
The episode included a lengthy section where the hosts mocked a series of overreaching brand guidelines given to the website by the current owner, Fandom.
These guidelines included rules on swearing and other restrictions on content, which were entirely different from the style of content that Giant Bomb has built its reputation on, hence the mockery from the cast.
Following this, Jeff Grubb announced his departure from the site.
Long-time staff member Dan Ryckert discussed the issues faced by the site during a stream, claiming he would never appear on Giant Bomb again, and that the direction that Fandom was taking the company was not one he would like to be a part of.
Ryckert insinuated on the same stream that he will continue doing “what he loves” in the future, in addition to his Fire Escape podcast.
