Polygon is an American entertainment website launched in 2012 by Vox Media, specializing in video games, movies, TV, comics, and pop culture with a focus on long-form journalism and the people behind games.
It quickly rose to prominence, becoming one fo the world's third-largest gaming website by traffic, and maintaining strong metrics for visitors. But in the late 2025, Vox Media sold it to Valnet (owner of Game Rant), triggering mass layoffs of much of its veteran staff, though the site continues operating under new ownership.
In the turbulent wake of the sale to the porn mogul, some of its former employees formed a union.
Among them, Maddy Myers and Zoë Hannah, have charted a bold new course by launching 'Mothership,' a queer- and women-owned independent site dedicated to dissecting video games through the unapologetic lens of gender and identity.
The website promises a refuge from algorithm-chasing click farms, prioritizing deep criticism, investigative reporting, podcasts, short-form videos, and a newsletter over endless volume.
According to the former Polygon deputy editor and games editor, Mothership is meant to be a defiant act by focusing not only on cultural headwinds, but also by sailing against.
As feminism faces fresh blowback, with national discourse questioning its role in workplaces and online mobs fueling anti-woke fervor, the site leans in harder.
"Feminism, I feel like, has become a dirty word in a lot of circles. It’s considered cringe and I do feel like we’re in a really, really weird place with it right now," Myers said, drawing from her career's cycles of progress and backlash. Yet she insists, "we need to keep doing this. We have to keep trying."
The founders envision it as "Teen Vogue, but for video games," or what The Mary Sue once was: thoughtful, fewer stories per day, rich in reporting that doesn't rush in 20 minutes.
Born from personal betrayal, the venture stems directly from the Polygon fallout. Myers and Hannah were initially retained amid the chaos but grew suspicious of NDAs and selective firings.
we'll launch mothership.blog in its final form on jan. 26, featuring stories by amazing writers like @nicolecarpenter.bsky.social, @nicoleclark.bsky.social, @susanapolo.bsky.social, @supercrip1994.bsky.social, & @applecider.bsky.social. you can subscribe early for a LIFETIME 15% OFF discount!!
[image or embed]— Maddy Myers (@midimyers.com) January 10, 2026 at 12:06 AM
"This seems fishy to me, and it was a fishy, weird time period," Myers recalls of the secrecy.
Hannah felt weaponized: "They essentially told us just enough to make us feel like it was our only option to come over... I feel like both of us were used as bargaining chips." A week and a half in, Myers hit her limit: "I’m really personally depressed about how many people are gone. I don’t feel good about replacing them."
She confronted HR: "I told them this was in bad faith."
Free from that toxicity, they're now self-owned, subscription-driven, and ad-light.
"There will be no programmatic ads whatsoever on Mothership, which is badge of honor," Hannah declares.
Content-wise, Mothership casts a wide net across console, PC, mobile, and tabletop games, from cozy "girlypop" titles to sci-fi epics reimagining gender norms, military shooters to narrative memoirs.
They say that visitors can expect reviews probing depictions of bodies and identity, marketing breakdowns, exposés on studio discrimination amid DEI's decline, and spotlights on creators who defy cisgender male dominance.
"We’re writing for the girls, gays, and theys, and just truly embracing that," Myers affirms.
Launch features work from ex-Polygon allies like Susana Polo (Mary Sue co-founder), Nicole Clark, and Nicole Carpenter, plus voices like Grant Stoner and Nico Deyo. The ethos: rigorous editing, sensitivity readers, legal backing for risky probes.
"With your help, we’ll build a sustainable business that can afford rigorous editing processes, sensitivity readers, and legal counsel when necessary."
Reception hints at Mothership's polarizing pull.
While some show enthusiasm, like women and queer gamers craving this space, others don't really want this kind of approach, referring it to a diaspora of post-Polygon indies like Rogue, Design Room, and Post Games, but stands out as one rarely dominated by straight men.