Kotaku UK began six years ago in September 2014. Back then Nintendo was twisting in the wind with Wii U (how will they ever recover from this?!?), PS4 and Xbox One were stomping through their first year, and Amazon was buying Twitch for just south of a billion dollars. If you mentioned Battle Royale back then, you were talking about a film. In the UK, developers like Creative Assembly were knocking out stone-cold classics like Alien: Isolation, Playground was getting into a serious groove with Forza Horizon 2, while Peter Molyneux's 22Cans finally released Godus and... let's move on.
Video games have changed a lot in the time since Kotaku UK launched, and will continue to morph and move at breakneck pace in the years to come. Sadly we won’t be around to guide you through them.
For those that don't know: Kotaku US is run by G/O Media, with Future Publishing licensing out the brand and content for the UK site - the one you're reading right now. Unfortunately Future has decided not to renew the license when it expires on Wednesday 9th September, meaning the end of the current incarnation of Kotaku UK.
So this is the end for those of us working on the site right now, but not necessarily the end for a localised version of Kotaku. The rights will be reverting back to G/O Media this week, and US-based Kotaku will continue to operate and produce content. Fans can continue to follow Gizmodo at www.kotaku.com.
I've been Kotaku UK's editor for three years, before which I was a regular contributor, and the journey has been a privilege. I'd especially like to thank the people who made Kotaku UK what it was: former editor Keza MacDonald, who with Future started the site, and our colleagues over the years: Dave ‘Captain’ Basch, Julian Benson, Leon Hurley, Alistair Jones, Kelly Kanayama, Laura Kate Dale, Tom Pritchard, Kimberley Snaith, Jack Tomlin and CJ Wheeler. I fling you all one last salute from the deck.
One thing this job gave me was a deep respect for the output of Kotaku, and the talent and hard work of its US staff past and present. I’d particularly like to thank Stephen Totilo for various help and advice over the years, as well as for making me an expert bluffer on The Division 2, a game I’ve never played. Alex Walker, editor of Kotaku Australia: thanks for all the swaps over the years, you’re a good mate, and catch ya later.
Finally I'd like to thank and say farewell to our readers. My sense was always that you love games, have a sense of humour, and value good writing: that's what we always tried to deliver. I'm sorry to say goodbye. Hope you all enjoyed the ride, and please take one thing forward from Kotaku UK: see games differently.
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