Zero Punctuation, the long-standing video review series, seems to be coming to an end after a mass departure of staff from The Escapist publication.
Creator Ben ‘Yahtzee’ Croshaw and the rest of the outlet’s video team resigned from The Escapist on Monday.
This departure appears to be related to the firing of editor-in-chief Nick Calandra by The Escapist owners, Gamurs Group.
Calandra explained his departure, citing being let go for unspecified goals and a lack of understanding of the audience and his team, on social media.
Calandra also mentioned future plans for independent projects during a conversation on The Escapist’s Discord server with a scheduled livestream to further discuss their plans.
Croshaw announced his resignation from The Escapist and Gamurs, expressing a desire to continue his creative work in a different environment.
Other staff members, including Darren Mooney, Sebastian Ruiz, Jesse Galena, Matt Laughlin, Will Cruz, and Amy Campbell, confirmed their resignation from The Escapist and Gamurs Group through social media.
VGC has sought a response from Gamurs Group regarding the recent departures.
Zero Punctuation, a series that began in 2007, has produced over 800 episodes under Croshaw’s leadership. Known for its rapid speech and candid reviews, the series has built a dedicated fan base over the years.
Croshaw’s videos, initially hosted on The Escapist and later on their YouTube channel, consistently attracted hundreds of thousands of views, with some reviews surpassing a million views.
The Escapist, established in 2005, was acquired by Gamurs Group in 2022 as part of their expansion, along with various other acquisitions, including Prima Games, Twinfinite, Destructoid, and Siliconera.
