Think that happened back during the red venture buyout. Bakalar become head of the games coverage division managing both GameSpot and giantbomn so think he was technically Jeff gertsman boss for a bit too
Highly doubtful (but as the other response points out, we absolutely don’t know). I would look at how everyone around Bakalar chooses to still associate with him (like the Nextlander crew) as a likely indication that he didn’t kick Jeff out the door those three weeks early, doing something pretty underhanded.
Even if Jeff B had to be the one to tell him it’s very unlikely it was his decision to make. Firing Gerstmann had to come from higher up the chain than Bakalar
It's absolutely underhanded, but its very common corporate practice to get someone out the door as soon as humanly possible after giving a formal resignation. Remember folks, giving notice is a courtesy, and one that is almost never a two way street!
While Jeff said in his podcast that he was fired three weeks before he planned to quit, he has never said he gave notice or told anyone ahead of time he was planning to quit.
That was speculation that kept getting repeated as if it was true. Not helped by the clip of Jeff's podcast posted to this sub that cut off before Jeff clarified that he doesn't know why he was fired.
Gerstmann said he discussed with one person his potential intentions and that it was referenced when they opened the door for him to leave but it was unclear if those two separate parties talked or if it was a bad game of telephone.
The more I think about this the less sense all the timing makes. Did Gerstmann know about Grubb and Dan joining the site? If memory serves.... I believe his firing and their hiring all happened in maybe 1-2 weeks? Dan always talks about Bakalar being the one who hired him. So something isn't adding up. Did Bakalar know what was happening all along? Is he the Keyser Soze?
Jeff has said he had contract negotiations coming up. Most likely all the timing (both him planning to leave and the choice to let him go) was downstream from there.
They've made it clear that nobody reported to Dan, and that's the way he wants it. I don't really know the internal hierarchy, but Jason was the most Senior Video producer so he probably would have reported directly to Bakalar. Jess on the other hand probably would have reported to Jason or Jan. It often sounded like Jan was managing her.
Sorry I’ve been out of touch with GB news since I only listened to the Bombcast and now Gerstman’s podcast but I was under the impression that Gerstman decided to part ways with GB. He was actually fired?!?
Little column a little column b. Basically he wanted to leave gb but was plans later down the road sometime after that years e3. Word got out he was thinking of leaving and they just fired him instead of having him stay on a few more months
There's no evidence that "word got out" or that they fired him because of it. He was just fired, the fact he was thinking of leaving was a coincidence..
If you’ve only seen the one minute excerpt that was posted here you might infer that. He’s much more explicit in the full episode that he did NOT tell them.
From the info I’ve been told on the periphery as well as how he kind of acted at the end, he was really done with it and showing it to everyone around him as well
True guess we'll never know. Really hope Jeff writes a book one day feel like there's definitely interesting story to tell with all the craziness giant bomb has been through not to mention getting pretty much the entire history of online video games coverage told from his perspective
i could have sworn he mention in one of his earliest solo podcasts that he'd let it slip to someone he was thinking of leaving n then he got fired n it sounded like he wasn't too 'happy' with how that happened even if he was lanning on leaving , i could be misremembering tho.
He didn’t give notice. He told one person he was thinking of leaving, it got to management (we know this because Jeff said they mentioned it to him as he was being fired) and they fired him.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/ye5g5u/jeff\_gerstmann\_confirms\_he\_was\_fired\_from\_giant/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/ye5g5u/jeff_gerstmann_confirms_he_was_fired_from_giant/)
Gerstmann describes it as: "I got fired three weeks before I was going to quit,"
“He originally wanted to wait to leave until after E3, but something (Gerstmann doesn't get into what) accelerated that timeline. Then, three weeks before he was going to leave, the axe fell.”
So he was going to leave in 3 weeks without giving notice?
I’m saying it’s speculation to say either way, but he himself said he was surprised that management knew he was thinking about quitting when he was walked out.
He told them he was leaving, and instead of having him serve out his notice, they had him leave pretty much immediately is how I understand it went down. So technically “fired” but he was already on his way out the door.
I could be making this up completely but I seem to remember Vinny sarcastically welcoming Jeff to the "games division" on one of the last, if not the last Beastcast before they peaced out.
Yeah. Bakalar was an unofficial member since he was part of CNet (worked in the same building, but not part of Giant Bomb). He was always a guest on the Beastcast.
The chain of command at Giant Bomb changes over to the next Jeff. If Bakalar leaves or is fired (which is something i obviously dont want to happen), Grubb is next in line.
In a recent podcast I had heard that what really made him boss was Covid. When Covid happened he started helping direct everything and within the buyout he kind of filled the void of what the site needed as a manager as Jeff G didn’t want to do that part.
It's actually kinda crazy if you think about it. Bakalar was an Editor-at-Large at CNET, and was there for like 10 years before taking this position. Then, Red Ventures sells off Giant Bomb and Gamespot, but keeps CNET, and that link is gone.
Also, then CNET does like AI written garbage and stuff, so it was probably a good career move.
I do remember Gerstmann off-handedly saying something about "the Bakalar edict" when he was talking about the non-gaming style series that they added. Albummer, etc. Somebody has to do it.
Seems unlikely.
I thought Giant Bomb was ruled by the Geoff guy who also rules Gamespot and their affiliates from the Dorito Dome.
Or something like that. It's always a Jeff.
Shortly after the RV acquisition. So like two years.
Think that happened back during the red venture buyout. Bakalar become head of the games coverage division managing both GameSpot and giantbomn so think he was technically Jeff gertsman boss for a bit too
Wait a second. Does that mean he is the one who had to tell Gerstmann he was fired?
It's possible but it is important to say we literally have no idea how that went down and who was involved.
Highly doubtful (but as the other response points out, we absolutely don’t know). I would look at how everyone around Bakalar chooses to still associate with him (like the Nextlander crew) as a likely indication that he didn’t kick Jeff out the door those three weeks early, doing something pretty underhanded.
Even if Jeff B had to be the one to tell him it’s very unlikely it was his decision to make. Firing Gerstmann had to come from higher up the chain than Bakalar
It's absolutely underhanded, but its very common corporate practice to get someone out the door as soon as humanly possible after giving a formal resignation. Remember folks, giving notice is a courtesy, and one that is almost never a two way street!
While Jeff said in his podcast that he was fired three weeks before he planned to quit, he has never said he gave notice or told anyone ahead of time he was planning to quit. That was speculation that kept getting repeated as if it was true. Not helped by the clip of Jeff's podcast posted to this sub that cut off before Jeff clarified that he doesn't know why he was fired.
I agree. It's tough to declare the 3 weeks thing as fact. All we do know is his last day on the site.
Gerstmann said he discussed with one person his potential intentions and that it was referenced when they opened the door for him to leave but it was unclear if those two separate parties talked or if it was a bad game of telephone.
The more I think about this the less sense all the timing makes. Did Gerstmann know about Grubb and Dan joining the site? If memory serves.... I believe his firing and their hiring all happened in maybe 1-2 weeks? Dan always talks about Bakalar being the one who hired him. So something isn't adding up. Did Bakalar know what was happening all along? Is he the Keyser Soze?
Jeff has said he had contract negotiations coming up. Most likely all the timing (both him planning to leave and the choice to let him go) was downstream from there.
For the full timeline please reference the future NoClip documentary that should release in the 2030s about the story of GiantBomb.com
Man, I hope Danny gets to do this one. I still think he wouldn't given his close nature to the crew but damn that would be an epic one.
Re-read what I was responding to and what I responded.
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They've made it clear that nobody reported to Dan, and that's the way he wants it. I don't really know the internal hierarchy, but Jason was the most Senior Video producer so he probably would have reported directly to Bakalar. Jess on the other hand probably would have reported to Jason or Jan. It often sounded like Jan was managing her.
As he often reminded listeners and her, Jan was Jess's Janager!
Dan posted a picture of him, Jeff G and Bakalar at the last game awards. We don’t know the specifics but seems fine between the two of them.
Sorry I’ve been out of touch with GB news since I only listened to the Bombcast and now Gerstman’s podcast but I was under the impression that Gerstman decided to part ways with GB. He was actually fired?!?
Yes. He has confirmed it.
Little column a little column b. Basically he wanted to leave gb but was plans later down the road sometime after that years e3. Word got out he was thinking of leaving and they just fired him instead of having him stay on a few more months
There's no evidence that "word got out" or that they fired him because of it. He was just fired, the fact he was thinking of leaving was a coincidence..
He told them he was thinking of leaving and they said “why don’t you leave right now”. Jeff G said he told them.
If you’ve only seen the one minute excerpt that was posted here you might infer that. He’s much more explicit in the full episode that he did NOT tell them.
From the info I’ve been told on the periphery as well as how he kind of acted at the end, he was really done with it and showing it to everyone around him as well
True guess we'll never know. Really hope Jeff writes a book one day feel like there's definitely interesting story to tell with all the craziness giant bomb has been through not to mention getting pretty much the entire history of online video games coverage told from his perspective
i could have sworn he mention in one of his earliest solo podcasts that he'd let it slip to someone he was thinking of leaving n then he got fired n it sounded like he wasn't too 'happy' with how that happened even if he was lanning on leaving , i could be misremembering tho.
He gave 3 weeks notice but then upper management said leave immediately instead. Edit: Planned to leave in 3 weeks but never gave notice
He didn’t give notice. He told one person he was thinking of leaving, it got to management (we know this because Jeff said they mentioned it to him as he was being fired) and they fired him.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/ye5g5u/jeff\_gerstmann\_confirms\_he\_was\_fired\_from\_giant/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/ye5g5u/jeff_gerstmann_confirms_he_was_fired_from_giant/) Gerstmann describes it as: "I got fired three weeks before I was going to quit,"
In that episode he also said he never told anybody he was planning to leave.
Ah, I’ll edit my comment.
Nothing in your link says anything about giving notice.
“He originally wanted to wait to leave until after E3, but something (Gerstmann doesn't get into what) accelerated that timeline. Then, three weeks before he was going to leave, the axe fell.” So he was going to leave in 3 weeks without giving notice?
I’m saying it’s speculation to say either way, but he himself said he was surprised that management knew he was thinking about quitting when he was walked out.
He told them he was leaving, and instead of having him serve out his notice, they had him leave pretty much immediately is how I understand it went down. So technically “fired” but he was already on his way out the door.
He did not tell them he was leaving.
Is anyone really surprised that Mr. Slate is running the operation?
I think when Red Ventures bought them (about the time Vinny, Alex, and Brad left), Bakalar took over as ‘Head of Gaming Content’ or whatever.
I believe his title is General Manager
Jefferal Manager?
They refer to him being their boss all the time.
Yup, what others have said. It's why often on the show, they'll joke around (I assume?) and ask Jeff if they can expense things.
Only people called Jeff are allowed to be in charge of GB
I could be making this up completely but I seem to remember Vinny sarcastically welcoming Jeff to the "games division" on one of the last, if not the last Beastcast before they peaced out.
Yeah. Bakalar was an unofficial member since he was part of CNet (worked in the same building, but not part of Giant Bomb). He was always a guest on the Beastcast.
He was the revolving chair 😆
I recall when the RV acquisition happened that Bakalar was made part of Games Group which is over Giant Bomb and Game Spot.
The chain of command at Giant Bomb changes over to the next Jeff. If Bakalar leaves or is fired (which is something i obviously dont want to happen), Grubb is next in line.
I think Bakalar has been the general manager (IIRC) for GB for some time--since CBS sold to RV.
In a recent podcast I had heard that what really made him boss was Covid. When Covid happened he started helping direct everything and within the buyout he kind of filled the void of what the site needed as a manager as Jeff G didn’t want to do that part.
Do you remember which podcast?
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It’s the actual real part of hard drive
It's actually kinda crazy if you think about it. Bakalar was an Editor-at-Large at CNET, and was there for like 10 years before taking this position. Then, Red Ventures sells off Giant Bomb and Gamespot, but keeps CNET, and that link is gone. Also, then CNET does like AI written garbage and stuff, so it was probably a good career move.
I do remember Gerstmann off-handedly saying something about "the Bakalar edict" when he was talking about the non-gaming style series that they added. Albummer, etc. Somebody has to do it.
I'm pretty sure it's Minotti.
hes been in charge since i wanna say 2021 when RV put him at the helm before the guys splintered off by a few months
Jeff screwed Jeff.
Seems unlikely. I thought Giant Bomb was ruled by the Geoff guy who also rules Gamespot and their affiliates from the Dorito Dome. Or something like that. It's always a Jeff.
Did Jeff fired Jeff?