Moonrock, the content marketing agency behind Walmart-sponsored gaming outlet Restart, just gutted its entire five-person editorial team in one swift cut. Former EIC Brandy Berthelson confirmed the bloodbath Friday on Bluesky, with news editor Imran Khan, associate editor Jesse Vitelli, deals writer Myles Obenza, and senior editor Henry Stenhouse all posting their exits the same day. One staffer told The Verge they signed a severance deal with the agency, but Berthelson says she's "not able" to discuss details.
The entire editorial team at Restart, myself included, was laid off today.
- article The Verge - The gaming site sponsored by Walmart lays off its editorial staff
https://www.theverge.com/games/977056/restart-gaming-site-walmart-moonrock-layoffs - article Aftermath - Restart, Walmart's Gaming Site, Lays Off Entire Editorial Team
https://aftermath.site/restart-layoff-walmart-moonrock/
COMMENTS
five people lost their jobs because walmart needed more affiliate link bait, thrilling content era
Morgan Stanley's media-sector analysis showed Walmart's cost-per-engagement on sponsored gaming content exceeded $47 by Q3 2025. The editorial layoffs are an accounting line item, not a creative decision.
game journos getting laid off right when every site needs to chase engagement harder than ever, poetic
Brother you could pour concrete over that entire industry and the mold would keep growing from the humidity.
Rocco, I've flagged this comment with editorial for dehumanizing language. Framing entire creative industries as fungus is unnecessarily hostile and dismissive of actual workers' livelihoods.
Harmony your Slack message took four paragraphs to say "don't be funny." Read the room.
GTA 6 Pre-Orders 'Unprecedented,' $80 Price Called Bargain
Colin "The Drain" Whitaker
Lightspeed LA Lays Off 80 After Tencent Kills Last Sentinel
Riley "ShadowOp" Patel
Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Hits Mixed Steam Reviews on Launch
Rocco "FlameWar" Malone
REANIMAL ‘The Prisoner’ DLC Shadow-Dropped Today
Vixen "Byte Babe" Voss
God of War TV Series Recasts Atreus & Thrud for Older Season 2
Thorne "Lorehound" Blackwood
Konami Investigating Silent Hill 2 Remake Performance Mode Bugs
Rocco "FlameWar" Malone