Rumor: AOL planning on shutting down Joystiq

According to Recode, and covered - oddly enough - by Joystiq itself, the AOL-based gaming site Joystiq.com is rumored to shutting its doors soon in a move by AOL to restructure its properties over the coming weeks.

The report seemed to comes as something of a surprise to Joystiq staff, as there have been no official reports confirming it internally. However, apparently the closure has been known to a degree by some staff, while a formal announcement has been kept under wraps in order to prevent the site from prematurely grinding to a halt. Joystiq reported the news in its own trademark fashion - with a good dollop of humor:

“We do not comment on rumor and speculation,” one staffer told us, wishing to remain anonymous, preparing for their lucrative PR career. Others are still trying to figure out next steps. Another anonymous staffer said, “We’re still working until we can’t.”

Given that Joystiq has been running for over ten years - including its sister-site Massively, which specializes in MMO coverage, it’s a shame to see even the possibility that the outlet could be winding down. While a number of gaming sites have announced either full-scale restructuring or full closure in the last couple of years - another long-running UK site, Computer and Video Games, is due to close over the next couple of weeks after being in existence for over 30 years - there’s a sense of utter absence that comes with a familiar place closing its doors. If the rumor does turn out to be true, we hope that its writers and staff can find a way to get back to their feet quickly and doing what they do best.

We’ll keep you posted as soon as we learn more.

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Taylor Hidalgo

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Taylor is a freelance writer, recreational reader, and enthusiastic conversationalist. He can be frequently found rambling on Twitter, writing on his blog, or playing too many shooters on Steam.