Walmart-backed gaming site Restart lays off entire editorial staff
Gaming media outlet Restart, sponsored by retail giant Walmart, has laid off its entire editorial team. It remains unclear whether the site will continue operating.
Restart, a video game news website that launched in late 2024 with backing from Walmart, has cut its entire editorial staff. The news came Friday from Brandy Berthelson, the site's former editor-in-chief, who announced the layoffs in a public post. Several other former staffers have since confirmed on social media that they also lost their jobs.
The site is actually run day-to-day by Moonrock, a content marketing agency, though Restart's own editorial mission page states the site is "powered" by Walmart. According to that page, whenever the site discussed a game, it included purchase links directing readers to Walmart's store using a special partner tracking code. Restart earned no direct commission from resulting sales, but the arrangement let Walmart track how visitors reached its product pages.
Claims of independence
Despite the financial relationship, Restart's mission page described the outlet as an "independent site" and stated that Walmart "doesn't influence our editorial direction." In effect, Restart was Walmart's answer to something like Game Informer, the gaming magazine and website formerly owned by retailer GameStop. Notably, GameStop shut down Game Informer just months before Restart's launch, though that publication has since been revived under different ownership.
Berthelson said she is not able to share further details about the circumstances of the layoffs. One affected staff member told The Verge they had signed a severance agreement with Moonrock.
As of now, the Restart website is still online, but it is unclear whether Walmart and Moonrock intend to keep operating it, and in what form. Neither company had responded to requests for comment at the time of reporting.
