It is with a heavy heart that we reveal TouchArcade to close down after 16 years of providing you with news, reviews, and commentary on the mobile gaming world. Although the closure has been hanging over us for a while, the reality of it still makes it difficult to put into words. While we’re closing out our normal operations, we’ll still complete any outstanding commitments, and a proper goodbye post will be forthcoming. For the time being, we’re officially closing our day-to-day operations.
The Reason Behind the Shutdown: Financial Struggles
As many longtime readers know, TouchArcade has been facing financial challenges for several years. Unfortunately, a website like ours is no longer financially viable in today’s internet landscape. We’ve intentionally avoided intrusive ads, clickbait headlines, and questionable sponsorships, opting for ethical standards over quick profits. However, the modern internet economy rewards those very things, which makes sustaining a site like ours increasingly difficult.
There are other contributing factors to the shutdown, but at this point, I’d rather reflect on the positive memories than dwell on what couldn’t be changed. TouchArcade has been an institution for millions of people over the past 16 years, and it’s been my full-time job for over 14 years—essentially a third of my life. Letting go of something so deeply personal feels like saying goodbye to a child, and it’s not easy.
In addition, as a married man with obligations, a wife, two kids, and a mortgage, this is the demise of my own livelihood, too, as well as for the two amazing individuals who assisted me in operating the site: Shaun Musgrave and Mikhail Madnani.
A Call for New Opportunities: Hire Us
As we end this chapter, we look to move forward. The career market’s not great, and especially in the games industry, it’s hard to find new positions. If you’re reading this and require experienced game industry professionals, do contact us!
Jared Nelson (that’s me):
With more than 14 years of mobile gaming experience behind me, I’ve done it all from writing and editing to staffing and convention travel. My management background adds a host of skills as well. You can reach me on LinkedIn or email at jared [at] toucharcade [dot] com.
Shaun Musgrave:
With more than 25 years in professional games media and over 11 years at TouchArcade, Shaun is one of the most gifted writers I’ve worked with. His in-depth knowledge of video game history gives him a unique perspective on writing. He’s also fluent in Japanese, making him ideal for localization roles. Reach out to Shaun at muzkind [at] hotmail [dot] com.
Mikhail Madnani:
Mikhail has been working with TouchArcade for more than 7 years and was the keystone of the website’s function. His specialty is writing regularly video game content, doing news reports, and creating extensive features. If you want an organized and diligent person, Mikhail is your best choice. Reach him at hello [at] failgunner [dot] com.
What Happens Next?
As TouchArcade shuts down, we intend to make all of the site’s content available. With more than 33,000 articles, such as 4,000 reviews of games and annual Best Of lists, this archive will be up for future reference. It’s a treasure trove for anyone reminiscing about the history of mobile gaming during the past 16 years.
We’re also looking to sustain our podcast, The TouchArcade Show. We just passed our 600th episode, and we’ve been going on with co-host Eli Hodapp for more than 13 years now. We’re thinking of shifting our Patreon donations to fund the podcast, and maybe sporadic posts or special features in between. We might even be able to bring back something like our Game of the Year feature if things go well in the future.
Patreon patrons will see a difference in language, with clarity on how money will be spent going forward. If you still wish to support the podcast or future projects, you are more than welcome to stay. We will keep you updated on news through the Patreon site. If you do have questions, feel free to contact me at tips [at] toucharcade [dot] com or comment below.
A Heartfelt Thank You
Finally, on behalf of everyone who contributed to TouchArcade over the years—from co-founders Arnold Kim and Blake Patterson to first full-time hire and future Editor-in-Chief Eli Hodapp, and all the writers and freelancers who helped make this site what it was—I want to express our sincerest thanks. It’s been an incredible journey, and we’ve been blessed to have such an amazing audience. Whether you read our work, listened to our podcast, or attended our events, we are eternally thankful for the time we shared together.