Former Kotaku staffers launch independent game and culture website Aftermath
A group of former Koktau writers have reunited to launch new video game website, Aftermath.
The worker-owned media company was co-founded by Nathan Grayson, Gita Jackson, Riley MacLeod, and Luke Plunkett, who'll work with featured contributors Chris Person and Alex Jaffe and a roster of freelance writers to deliver breaking news, criticism and analysis, and "thought-provoking" editorial.
The founding team described Aftermath as a "continuation of the irreverent and hard-hitting journalism pioneered at Kotaku" and noted it will be an independent, subscription-based publication.
The Aftermath team will supplement the site's editorial offering with two podcasts, including 52 Pickup, an exploration of DC Comics’ most ambitious and underrated series, hosted by Gita Jackson and Alex Jaffe.
Subscription options include a $7/month or $70/year base tier that will grant access to all articles and bonus podcast episodes. An additional $10/month or $100/year tier will also include access to commenting, a community Discord server, and regular staff Q&As.
Luke Plunkett told Game Developer the decision to shun corporate ownership was an easy choice despite the risks involved. "As a group, we've been through forced ownership changes, layoffs and mismanagement at the hands of private equity, so the decision to shun corporate ownership was a pretty easy one," he said.
"While taking on the risk of launching a whole site ourselves has been slightly terrifying, it's also been hugely exciting: learning the ins and outs of how a business works, designing the site and having lots of conversations about what we think a workplace should look like and how we get there. It’s been really empowering to basically create a company from the ground up."
Plunket
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