I used Grok for this query because economists were discussing the issue on X(Twitter) this week and Grok would have quick access to that discourse. Note that Grok provided links to legitimate web sources, not just Twitter speculation. I am providing those same links in the place where Grok put them. I do not know how much the chatter of the week affected the response below.
Prompt from J. B. on 8/22/26 to Grok: What happened to the economics journal Games and Economic Behavior?
The leading game theory journal Games and Economic Behavior (GEB), published by Elsevier since its founding in 1989, remains active and is still publishing issues (including volumes into 2026), but it is in a major editorial crisis due to a mass resignation of its leadership. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/games-and-economic-behavior)
In late July 2026, Editor-in-Chief Hervé Moulin (who had held the role since January 2021) was informed by Elsevier that his 3-year contract would not be renewed, despite his willingness to continue. Elsevier cited a desire to move “towards a closer alignment with Elsevier strategic priorities and publishing policies.” Requests for further explanation (from Moulin and then collectively from the other six editors) were dismissed; Elsevier simply asserted its contractual right to make the decision and began searching for new editors without input from the existing board. (https://gametheorysociety.org/message-from-herve-moulin-geb-editor/)
In response, by August 14, 2026, all seven editors (Moulin plus Sushil Bikhchandani, Aislinn Bohren, Nicole Immorlica, Roberto Serrano, Emanuel Vespa, and Nicolas Vieille) resigned with the required three-month notice. Nearly all of the advisory editors (the equivalent of associate editors) also resigned in solidarity. The outgoing team is handling papers already under review and new submissions until November 14, 2026 (with some flexibility for papers already assigned by mid-August); after that, they will only finish evaluations already in progress. Elsevier has publicly thanked Moulin for his service. (https://gametheorysociety.org/message-from-herve-moulin-geb-editor/)
The journal continues under Elsevier ownership (it is one of the two official journals of the Game Theory Society, alongside the International Journal of Game Theory). Community discussion has focused on the implications for the field, the role of commercial publishers, and possibilities such as launching a successor journal. Similar recent mass resignations have occurred at other Elsevier titles over governance and editorial control issues. (https://casrai.org/news/2026-editorial-board-mass-resignations)
In short, GEB has not shut down, but its longstanding editorial team has largely departed over Elsevier’s non-renewal of the Editor-in-Chief and related decisions.
Prompt from J. B. on 8/22/26 to Grok: What will be the implications for the reputation of the journal?
The reputation of Games and Economic Behavior (GEB) is likely to face significant short- to medium-term damage, with longer-term outcomes depending heavily on how Elsevier handles the transition and whether a strong successor journal emerges.
GEB has long been viewed as the leading specialized journal in game theory (and one of the stronger outlets in theoretical economics more broadly). Its prestige rests on attracting high-quality, creative work; the expertise and independence of its editorial team; rigorous standards; and community trust. The mass resignation of all seven editors (including Editor-in-Chief Hervé Moulin) plus nearly the entire advisory board in August 2026, following Elsevier’s non-renewal of Moulin’s contract, directly undermines those foundations. (https://gametheorysociety.org/message-from-herve-moulin-geb-editor/)
Short-term effects
- Loss of trust and submissions: Top researchers often choose journals partly based on the known editors and the expectation of fair, expert handling. With the board depleted (current editors only fully process papers until mid-November 2026), many authors are likely to pause or divert submissions. Community discussion already includes calls for boycotts of the Elsevier GEB and support for alternatives. @Afinetheorem
- Perception of publisher interference: Elsevier’s stated rationale (“closer alignment with Elsevier strategic priorities and publishing policies”) and its decision to search for new editors without board input have fueled views that commercial priorities overrode academic ones. This echoes other recent mass resignations (e.g., Journal of Approximation Theory at Elsevier, where resigning editors declared the journal “as we have known it has effectively ceased to exist”). casrai.org
- Operational disruption: Delays in reviews, potential quality variation under interim or new leadership, and uncertainty can further erode confidence among authors, referees, and readers.
Metrics such as impact factor or AJG ranking (currently 3) change slowly and will not immediately reflect the crisis, but subjective reputation in the game theory and economics communities can shift quickly.
Medium- to long-term scenarios
Historical patterns from similar mass resignations offer useful analogies:
- “Zombie journal” risk: The title, ISSN, indexing, and historical impact factor stay with Elsevier. If the new editorial team is perceived as less distinguished or more aligned with volume/publisher goals, submissions from leading researchers can decline, citation patterns can shift (sometimes toward more geographically concentrated or lower-prestige work), and the journal’s standing within the field can permanently weaken. Cases like Lingua (Elsevier, 2015) and others show that the brand can persist while the scholarly niche contracts. sciencedirect.com
- Recovery path: If Elsevier rapidly appoints highly respected new editors who maintain rigorous standards and rebuild community confidence, the damage can be limited. Some journals have stabilized after board changes, though full restoration of prior prestige is uncommon when the exit was acrimonious.
- Successor journal effect: Strong community interest already exists in launching a new outlet (possible names floated include variations on “Theory of Games and Economic Behavior” or society-backed alternatives; comparisons are drawn to how JEEA or other breakaways have functioned). If a credible successor is established—especially one endorsed by the departing editors and the Game Theory Society—and is treated as the “true” continuation by tenure/promotion committees, the original GEB’s relative prestige would likely decline further. Successful breakaways (e.g., Glossa after Lingua, or Imaging Neuroscience after NeuroImage) have often captured much of the field’s attention and high-quality papers. journalmetrics.org
**end of Grok responses **
If you want some chatter, you can put “GEB” into the search bar at x.com or BlueSky this week and see some more speculation.
There is a lot happening with publishing, including a huge shock of strangeness from the ability to both write and review papers with LLMs. Tumult will be normal. Read Mike on Will AI kill the research paper? or Mike on The actual AI problem in academic economics or Mike on Academic economists are overcommitted . The real perennial problem is that nothing is free but no one wants to pay.
Lastly, dear reader, you might wonder why so much of my post was AI-generated this week. I see this as burning my tokens so you don’t have to. You can find this with a free web search. Some people predict that “cheap AI” is coming to an end, so we might find it worthwhile to publish responses as well as prompts for each other. Regards, fellow humans and AI readers.