A games writer named Max Nicoll says she was assigned to review Resident Evil 9 for VideoGamer before being laid off alongside her editor. The site then published an AI-generated review instead.
Max shared her account after the review went live. She clarified that her former editor had nothing to do with the AI review and was also let go during layoffs at the site.
The situation gets worse. VideoGamer allegedly didn’t have a review code for Resident Evil 9. Review codes give outlets early access so they can publish reviews when the embargo lifts. Without one, the site couldn’t have played the game before writing about it.
That means the AI review was likely cobbled together from other outlets’ coverage once they published, or generated from marketing materials and preview content. Either way, no one at VideoGamer actually played through the game before reviewing it.
Metacritic removed the review from its aggregator page. The site tracks critic scores for games and can influence public perception and sales. Removing questionable reviews protects the integrity of those scores.
VideoGamer is owned by Clickout Media Group, which also controls The Escapist, Esports Inside, and Adventure Gamer. Reports indicate the company has been shifting toward AI-generated content across its properties.
Max mentioned the timing of her layoff made things worse. She learned she was being let go while attending a funeral, and her editor received the news while caring for her girlfriend after surgery.
This story fits into a larger pattern at Clickout Media. The company reportedly laid off multiple staff members while increasing its use of AI-generated content across its gaming and esports publications.
