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Game Informer, one of the last major game magazines, is preparing to celebrate 35 years in print next month, with a special anniversary issue, it's been revealed.
Initially beginning as a quarterly magazine from the retailer Funco, Inc, the very first issue of Game Informer was released back in the Fall of 1991 and featured Sonic the Hedgehog on the cover, as well as reviews of games like De-Cap Attack, Micro Machines, and NHL Hockey. Since then, it has run a total of 380 issues, with the next issue (issue 381) set to celebrate the magazine's 35th anniversary.
According to a letter from the editor-in-chief Matt Miller, published on the Game Informer website, this issue will take into account the magazine's legacy, taking a look back at some of its iconic covers "with commentary from current and former staffers who worked on the stories, alongside industry partners and developers." This includes "Tony Hawk, Ken Levine, Sean Murray, and Yoshinori Kitase – among many others." Print subscribers will also receive a special poster to commemorate the milestone, showcasing all of the previous covers dating back to the original issue.
Game Informer also announced that international subscriptions are now available across Canada, the UK, and Europe, and more.
"A lot can change in 35 years," Miller wrote. "In 1991, the Cold War was ending, Nirvana was rolling out Nevermind, the first website was launched, and Nintendo was introducing the SNES across North America. Around the same time, a small gaming magazine called Game Informer rolled out its debut issue, with a picture of Sonic the Hedgehog gracing its cover.
"While the world has shifted a lot over those decades, I hope our magazine has remained a trusted and entertaining place to stay connected and engaged with your gaming. Game Informer has been along for the ride of gaming’s rise to prominence, celebrating the hobby of play and the industry of making interactive entertainment.
"I’d like to believe Game Informer played some small role in shaping that same hobby over the decades. Throughout its many years of publication and across dozens of unique editorial voices, we’ve continually striven to highlight some of the most important games that were defining the field."
Something important to note is that Game Informer almost didn't hit this upcoming milestone, with its previous owners, GameStop, having shuttered the mag back in 2024, laying off the magazine's staff.
At the time, this seemed like the end of the magazine's history, before the blockchain developer Gunzilla Games swooped in and secured the rights to Game Informer, bringing back its former staff and agreeing a deal to allow the publication to run as an "independent editorial outlet" under an entity called "Game Informer Inc."