Paste Ends Video Game Coverage, Ending Era for Writers and Editors

Media outlet Paste appears to have ended its dedicated video game coverage, according to former employees and freelancers. The outlet’s games coverage, which evolved from a vertical within Paste to a standalone site called Endless Mode, was later integrated into The AV Club last year.

Elijah Gonzalez, associate editor at The AV Club, announced on Bluesky that “Yesterday was my last day at The A.V. Club. I got laid off and the site’s Games section is basically gone.” Freelance writer Diego Nicolás Argüello confirmed the closure, stating that “the games section at The AV Club has been shuttered.” This understanding was echoed by other contributors to the section.

Garrett Martin, longtime editor of Paste Games, posted: “Thanks to everybody who wrote for us… and thanks to everybody who ever read it. See ya around.” Aftermath has reached out to Gonzalez and Martin for further details.

In a statement to Kotaku, The AV Club explained:

The A.V. Club made the difficult decision to eliminate three roles, which included two full-time staff who ran our video games coverage after joining us from Endless Mode… We will continue to have some games coverage, but we cannot sustain a full-time staff covering it with our smaller team.

Martin became editor of Paste Games in 2011, providing a platform for countless writers and editors. Gita Jackson, co-founder of Aftermath, previously served as an assistant editor at Paste.

In July 2025, Paste Games spun off into its own site, Endless Mode, which Martin described as a space to “explore the infinite possibilities of games, anime, theme parks, and more.” The site received strong support from Paste’s ownership. However, in November 2025, Endless Mode was folded into The AV Club’s games section, which Paste had acquired from G/O Media in 2024. (G/O Media formerly owned Kotaku, where Aftermath’s staff previously worked.)

Another site acquired by Paste from G/O Media, Splinter, was merged into former G/O property Jezebel in November 2025. Jezebel has faced its own challenges, including reports of lost freelance work and the exit of its editor-in-chief after four and a half years.

Media upheaval, particularly in games journalism, is not uncommon—today marks exactly one year since Polygon was sold to Valnet. However, the loss of Paste Games is deeply felt in the industry. Many writers who cover games today, including this reporter, began their careers at Paste. For decades, the site was known for its willingness to take chances in an industry increasingly dominated by SEO-driven, high-volume strategies. It provided opportunities for writers to pursue their passions rather than conform to the demands of consolidating media owners.

The closure of Paste Games leaves a significant void, as it served as a launchpad for countless careers in games media and continued to support writers for years across its various iterations.