G4 layoffs were announced this week, which derailed their streaming schedule yesterday in a big way, and may mean trouble for the newly revived channel.
Longtime fans of G4 have felt this before between the years 2010 and 2014, when the technology channel led by original programs X-Play and Attack of the Show! slowly decayed until the final death knoll on November 30, 2014. Yesterday’s last minute cancellation of ALL G4 streams, as announced on Twitter, has lead to major G4 layoffs according to a Kotaku report.
The report suggests that 25-30 of the G4 staff population of around 200 has been laid off, and Kotaku reports one employee stated “I truly can not imagine the company continuing to produce our slate of content without the people we lost today,” regarding the G4 layoffs.
The employees who have been released will reportedly also receive ‘anywhere between 16 weeks and six months of severance’ depending on employee service time with the parent company Comcast. The reports of layoffs come before the channel’s first birthday since relaunching, which brought old G4 talent into the new era, with newer internet talent such as YouTuber Jirard ‘The Completionist’ Khalil producing content with Original X-Play Host Adam Sessler.
This comes on the heels of former G4TV Revival President Russell Arons leaving the network to be replaced by CEO Joe Marsh of T1, an esports division of the Comcast company, and while not being directly named ‘President,’ they took over most of the presidential duties of Arons. The Kotaku report alleges Marsh was brought in to cut costs above all else, the sources mentioned allege.
There has been an outpouring of support on Twitter as well from the industry regarding the G4 layoffs, with personalities like Associate Editor of Game Informer @leblancwes saying “My heart goes out to everyone at G4 – Layoffs f****** suck and I’m tired of seeing them happen in this industry. I hope you all land on your feet quickly,” and others echoing this sentiment across the platform.
For now, it remains to be seen whether G4 will pull through this messy scenario. The troubled waters the channel now faces come right before the November 16 first birthday of the revived channel. Fans will have to wait and see what happens next, and following the official G4TV Twitter can help keep fans looped in.
