You Held Me Down During the Pandemic....I'm a Paying Subscriber Forever

I saw everyone writing what GIant Bomb meant to them. I was just going to sit on what I had to say. But then I thought that maybe someday you'll all need a pick me up or a reminder of what you mean to us.

When the Pandemic first happened and I was working from my computer at my desk, the one constant in my life was watching Giant Bomb streams. Yes, there was a ton of other content. But nothing is like watching you guys. ALL of you. I used to look forward to watching Brad and Vinny doing the Astroneer stream. It was so calming. I remember when Vinny had a glitch and his character looked like he just blew away and Brad lost if laughing and I started laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. I just made me laugh when I didn't think I had a reason to.

Watching Alex get in the Truck Simulator was just so much fun to have in the background.

I still will never forget as a person of color when you didn't have the BombCast that Tuesday. I was moved to tears. You didn't have to do it. But I felt so seen.

We all just love you guys more than I think you'll ever know. And to that point, I'm just going to say that if you keep the site up.... (I know it's going to go through changes) but I just want to be able to watch old videos. People pay for crap content via Patreon. I would love just hearing and watching old stuff.

But whatever is decided, I believe in Jeff and his vision and his principles. I'm signed up probably for another two years and you better not insult me trying to give me money back. I feel like I OWE money considering how I was comforted during last year.

Thank you not just to Brad, Vinny and Alex... but Jason, Jan, Jeff -- we are with you. This is a movement. We aren't going anywhere.

Giant Bomb also really helped me out through the pandemic. Whether it was the Lockdown streams, recurring shows like Minecraft, Mass Alex, We Be Drummin’, the podcasts, or just turning on GB Infinite late at night and seeing what pops up.

My mental health has been absolute trash since the pandemic started—I'm isolated from all my family and partner, who are in different parts of the country, and can see only a couple of friends due to my own poor health—not to mention starting transition right before everything locked down (which is a hard thing to go through with zero support system) at the same time that my therapist went on a personal leave for their own health and family. Many things have helped me through this time, but the team here and both coast's podcasts have, truly, been a grounding force for me throughout all this. I'm a subscriber for life as a result, and can now think of no better time to go through and watch for the first time the series I missed out on, like Kerbal and Beast in the East (Crime Crew and Mass Alex were my go-tos over the past year, and Metal Gear Scanlon).

It might just be another gaming website to most not in the know, but the team here, their openness, their desire to always do right even when it means owning up to their own blind spots or mistakes... I value them like no other. I've never been a huge part of the community here, but the GB community in general is among the most supportive and good-natured I've come across on this global garbage dump we call "the internet."

Thanks to everyone here, past, present, and (hopefully?) future. I'm profoundly sorry to see Alex, Vinny, and Brad go, but I am here for the long haul to see what comes next. And I will continue to return to the Game of the Year podcasts whenever I'm feeling especially blue—something about the whole team being together for a massive all-out endeavour has always warmed my heart and made it feel like I'm just listening in on a group of friends.

And with that, I just wanted to pay tribute to one of my all-time favourite moments on the site: the GOTY where Dan, Alex, and Jason each got their one must-have on the staff list at the end (Stardew, Thumper, and Hyperlight respectively). It was a perfect encapsulation of the team dynamic at its best—recognizing that sometimes one person's passion matters more than the larger conversation on what is/isn't "GOTY material."

Great post - completely captured my sentiments and said it better than I ever could. Jeffs, Jan, Jason - look forward to where you take us next and I’m in for the ride.

I agree completely. GB Premium has, every since like I first subbed to it, been the best bang for my buck (and the thing I was always HAPPY to pay) in terms of entertainment. I came to GB at first actually following Patrick from his work at G4 - since then I've seen the site shift and change a half dozen times - Patrick, Dan, Austin, and Abby all coming and going - the site splitting to East and West - Ryan's death (which still hits me so hard). If they can make a thing I still love after all of that, I'm confident that The Jeffs can make what comes next something good (and if not, I'm happy to pay just for the privilege of watching Jeff microwave burritos in his garage).

Agree with everyone here. Here’s to many more Jeff cleans garage videos. Gb premium for life!

It is honestly the only subscription I have set and forget...for years now.

I haven't subscribed for a year or two now, but honestly I'm tempted to throw some money to Jeff as support and see how fucking weird things will get. Excited for the next few months in this regard.

I've been ride or die since the Big Live Live Show (Live!) and nothing is going to change that.

Vinny, Alex and Brad leaving is a swift kick in the teeth, not gonna lie. I'll miss hearing them every Tuesday and Friday on podcasts and on the other shows. The Beastcast got me through the first year of the pandemic as I worked from home with podcasts on and needed some good vibes.

Despite all that has happened, I'm extremely curious what Jeff, Jason, Jan, Jeff and Matt Rorie pull out of their collective, creative minds! Ride or die, baby.

I kicked off my pandemic year in Dec of 2019 when my dog of four years died. It all happened while I had GOTY ‘19 on in the background... and then the pandemic hit 3 months later and those guys were there every day... I just can’t put into words what comfort these guys brought during some pretty hard times. I know it had nothing to do with nothing, but I’m thankful they’re taking off just as lockdown seems to be subsiding. Grateful to the team, both those staying and those leaving.

I don't post a lot but felt I had to contribute here. I'm a front line worker and have worked all the way through the pandemic. This site, in no small way, helped me through some tough times. Thanks to Brad, Vinny and Alex. I'll be a premium member for as long as this websites a thing.

Can't wait to see what's next.

I’ve been a subscriber since it was available; Giantbomb had always been a place of comfort and relaxation for me, but it was an anchor for me during the pandemic. Those first few months I was mentally destroyed. Having a place for regular and chill videos (trucking, minecraft, and Astroneer in particular) was incredibly important to me and my well being during that time.