Goodbye to Johnny, and congratulations to Aoife!

Hey everyone! I've got a bit of Eurogamer news to share. It's sad at first but ultimately super cool and very exciting.

Here's the sad bit. Johnny Chiodini is leaving Eurogamer to work on a new website about tabletop games our parent company will soon set up. This is bittersweet for us of course. We're losing a fantastic video producer, a talented writer and a great friend, but we know how much tabletop games mean to Johnny and how exciting an opportunity it is to cover them. I'm sure Johnny will absolutely smash it as Head of Video at [REDACTED], and I can't wait to see the cool stuff he produces.

Now onto the exciting bit! I'm delighted to announce Aoife Wilson has been promoted to Head of Video, Eurogamer. Aoife has done a wonderful job as a video producer for Eurogamer on YouTube for a number of years now, and in her new role will lead the soft reboot of the channel, working with Ian "sausage aim" Higton and a couple of new faces I'll hopefully get to tell you about soon. I'm incredibly excited to see Aoife's vision for Eurogamer video come to fruition. Onward!

Johnny starts as Head of Video, [REDACTED], and Aoife becomes Head of Video, Eurogamer on Monday, 24th June. Congratulations to both!

Now, here's something from Johnny, who wanted to say goodbye with a personal message...

This is without a doubt the weirdest thing I've ever had to write for Eurogamer. Considering I once penned an article titled 'Dishonored 2's tutorial lets you choke your Dad', that's no mean feat.

How do you say goodbye to the best job you've ever had? The last four and a half years have given me some great friends and the chance to work with some of the most talented and generous people in the industry. I leave Eurogamer a much better writer than when I joined, thanks to the patience and encouragement shown by Donlan, Wes, Martin, Oli and Tom. Even if they think some of my puns are rubbish.

Of course my real home has been with the video team and I really don't know where I'd be if not for Aoife, Ian and fellow Eurogamer alumnus Chris. They've inspired me, made me laugh and (I'll be honest) made me reach for the whisky more times than I care to count. The pride they take in their work is a testament to each and every one of them, and I'm so glad I got the chance to work with them all.

Hopefully Chris and Ian won't mind me singling out Aoife in particular, because the hours we've spent together on an uncomfortable blue sofa talking and singing over the top of games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Life is Strange have honestly been the happiest of my career. She's given me confidence in myself as a person and she's never failed to tell me I'm being an idiot when I really needed to hear it. Aoife, I regret to inform you that you have become like a sister to me. I look forward to watching (as a fan!) as you lead the Eurogamer video team into a bright future.

Finally, I'd like to thank each and every person that's tuned in to a Eurogamer video over the past few years. This job has changed my life in so many ways, but it wouldn't have meant nearly as much if it weren't for the wonderful community I've been privileged to see growing and growing.

If it's not too self-indulgent, I'd like to ask a favour of that same community, which is to welcome the people who join the video team after I'm gone with open arms. I know from experience it's a scary thing to start on an existing team with an established audience, so your kindness and support will go a long way. It's not inconceivable that some of you might miss me, but seeing lots of comments of that nature can be really disheartening for a new person trying to get settled. In other words, love them for who they are and let them feel that love - they don't need to hear about me.

I'm sorry to be leaving but I'm excited to start an entirely new chapter talking about differing thicknesses of cardboard for a living. Hopefully I'll see you all again when the new site launches - I've got some big ideas and I can't wait to share them with you all.