Kotaku in Trouble! Woke Cuts, Mercante ‘Quits’—This Is Too Good!

It’s finally happening: Kotaku, the poster child for woke media, is crumbling – and the world is better for it. G/O Media has started swinging the axe, laying off some writers and leaving Kotaku with barely enough staff to keep the lights on. It’s hard not to feel like this is poetic justice after years of obnoxious, out-of-touch takes that Kotaku pushed as “journalism.”

Take Alyssa Mercante, who claims she left “on her own terms” after two years. Sure, Alyssa. You “left” just as the layoffs hit? More likely, G/O Media realized she wasn’t worth keeping around. This is a publication that’s been hemorrhaging credibility for ages, and it's about time someone at the top finally noticed.

Let’s be honest: Kotaku’s integrity was in question long before this. They drove readers away by focusing on shallow “woke” commentary rather than real gaming news or quality content. They hired writers who barely scratched the surface of what gamers actually care about and instead focused on pandering for clicks. Now, after rounds of layoffs and reshuffling, Kotaku’s masthead is down to the bare minimum, with freelancers taking over most of their so-called “service” content. It’s almost laughable – a site once at the forefront of gaming journalism now reduced to a ghost of its former self.

And while some may call G/O Media “clueless” or “cruel” for making these cuts, let’s be real: this isn’t about “punishing workers.” It’s about cleaning up a mess that Kotaku made for itself. For years, they put ideological pandering over quality content, alienating readers who just wanted solid gaming coverage. Now, the site is paying the price.

This might actually be a sign that audiences are finally pushing back against the nonsense. After watching the rise and fall of Kotaku, it's hard not to feel a little satisfaction in seeing the so-called “woke” media empire face the consequences of its own misguided approach. Here's hoping other publications take note and start putting quality back into gaming journalism.