Digital Foundry leaves IGN

The technical games media specialist is now fully independent

Specialist games publication Digital Foundry is now fully independent.

The media brand, which is renowned for its technical analysis of gaming hardware and software, was part-owned by IGN, which it obtained following its acquisition of Gamer Network in 2024.

“Digital Foundry's YouTube channel began life in 2015 as a joint venture with Gamer Network at a time when it was an independent media business, before its acquisition by ReedPop and then IGN,” Digital Foundry owner Richard Leadbetter told The Game Business in a statement.

“We've enjoyed success across the years but since the ReedPop days, we've always wanted to be fully independent and to chart our own course. I'd like to thank IGN for giving us the opportunity to make that happen and to Gamer Network founder Rupert Loman for his phenomenal support in making this deal happen. It's a highly volatile landscape for games media right now, but we firmly believe there's a role for independents - experts in their fields - to make a difference. Independent media thrives on the support of its communities and I hope the audience is excited by the news and gets behind our plans and aspirations for the future."

IGN acquired Gamer Network from ReedPop last year, but what followed has been a period of turmoil for the entire games media landscape. IGN has gone through multiple rounds of redundancies, and the loss of key talent from its Gamer Network brands.

However, IGN remains committed to its new properties, and have recently added new writers onto GamesIndustry.biz and Eurogamer.

You can watch Digital Foundry’s independence announcement video here.

Note: I was part of GamesIndustry.biz last year as the head of the publication.