The company ReedPop is looking into the ‘potential sale’ of Gamer Network, which means such sites as Eurogamer and VG247 could soon be under new ownership.
Some of the UK’s biggest – and for our money, finest – dedicated videogaming websites could be up for sale soon, as the company ReedPop has announced that it’s considering selling Gamer Network. That network’s portfolio includes Eurogamer, Rockpapershotgun, VG247, and Hookshot Media – the company that runs Nintendo Life, Time Extension, and more.
Gamesindustry.biz – which is also part of the aforementioned Gamer Network – has a statement from ReedPop, in which the company writes:
“ReedPop, part of RX, has reviewed its UK business and decided to investigate the potential sale of its Gamer Network and associated editorial Digital properties. We believe that new ownership offers the best conditions for the growth of the business.
“Gamer Network includes Eurogamer, Rockpapershotgun, VG247, Dicebreaker, GamesIndustry.biz, shareholdings in Outside Xbox, Digital Foundry, Hookshot and a number of partners.”
ReedPop, previously known as an events company, originally purchased Gamer Network in 2018. At the time, ReedPop’s global head Lance Fensterman told GI.biz of the acquisition, “The collaboration possibilities are numerous, and using online communities as a launchpad for live events – and vice versa – is very exciting.”
It isn’t currently clear what the catalyst is for the potential sale – or who a potential buyer might be. ReedPop has added that the move “does not impact any of the other ReedPop properties in the UK including MCM ComicCon, EGX and Popverse.”
In an up-and-down year for ReedPop, the planned E3 2023 was cancelled in March due to a “sustained lack of interest.” It was a dramatic turn for a live event that, since the mid-1990s, was one of the industry’s major annual fixtures. In the wake of the cancellation, the Entertainment Software Organisation parted ways with ReedPop, and it was reported in September that the ESA was “working on a complete reinvention of the E3 show for 2025.”
ReedPop continues to find success with other high-profile live events, however, with the likes of MCM Comic Con, New York Comic Con and Star Wars Celebration continuing to draw crowds. It’s unclear whether ReedPop will continue to run EGX and GamesIndustry.biz events after the sale of Gamer Network.
