AIRSOFT ACTION “GEN III” – WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS!

We’ve made no secret of the fact that AIRSOFT ACTION is on the cusp of entering “GEN III” soon, but what do we mean by this?

Simply put the old management team of Nige and Bill will be stepping back, and a new leadership crew will be taking both the magazine and the web-based news format forward, and the process will be starting at the end of this month.

The timeline right now is that at the end of March the old, somewhat clunky website will come down entirely, and from that point on exciting things will be going on in the background; yes, there will be an “operational pause” whilst things get handed over and before the new website is launched, but once this happens the magazine itself will be up and running again in tandem with a greater focus on daily news and short-form web articles.

This is what we mean by “GEN III” as AIRSOFT ACTION has made the successful jump from an old-skool award-winning print magazine (GEN I) to an established award-winning digital publication with an associated web-based airsoft news service (GEN II)… and now it’s time for things to move on yet again with an increased focus on the regular web-based content alongside a revamped magazine format (GEN III)!

So who exactly will be taking things forward? Outgoing Editorial Director Bill told us;

“When I decided it was time to take things a little easier and work on some airsoft, training and shooting-related “passion projects” of my own again, I immediately thought of how I could achieve this whilst at the same time not only keeping AIRSOFT ACTION alive, but also moving it forward in a meaningful way. With this in mind some very serious conversations happened during SHOT Show in January, and an action-plan was created shortly thereafter.

I’m therefore absolutely delighted to announce that at the end of this month AIRSOFT ACTION will become part of the USA-based SWANSON MEDIA GROUP (SMG) alongside their excellent ARMED LIFESTYLE digital magazine; SMG is led by a great and trusted friend of mine, Trampas Swanson, who I’ve worked with for many years and seen flourish as a writer, Editor, and business owner in his own right, and I have every expectation that he will help lead AIRSOFT ACTION securely into its next iteration.

To maintain continuity the editorial oversight  of the “New AA” will be placed into the safe and capable hands of our own John “Boycie” Turrell  who of course has been with AIRSOFT ACTION for some considerable time now, and knows the day to day operation all too well.

I have agreed with Trampas and John that I will stay on in the short term as an Editorial Consultant and to work on some special projects for AIRSOFT ACTION, and that they will continue to work with our existing pool of Deputy Editors, Contributors, and Industry Partners. They have also confirmed to me that they will endeavour to maintain the same impartial journalistic integrity that has always been the fundamental cornerstone of everything we have ever done; I have also ensured that they will safeguard the back issue archive of the magazine for the future, and I have every confidence that they will take things into “AA GEN III” in an exciting way!”

Trampas, owner of both SMG and ARMED LIFESTYLE, commented, “I am thankful for the opportunity to continue the AIRSOFT ACTION legacy and preserve the amazing library of work that writers, past and present have contributed by bringing it under the Swanson Media Group (Swanson Armory, LLC) brand, and the people who have dedicated their time and resources to make AIRSOFT ACTION Magazine successful are at its core.

My number one goal was to ensure these amazing people continue to have a home in the media world where they can share their voice, expand their contacts and connections and discover even bigger opportunities within the AIRSOFT ACTION brand going forward. Personally, this is a full circle moment and something of a homecoming for me. I spent some of my best years developing as both a writer and editor under the sister title, PMCI before venturing to become the founder and owner of Armed Lifestyle Magazine.

I see a great opportunity to expand AIRSOFT ACTION Magazine’s reach into the American market. This market is finally ready to embrace the 6mm training segment alongside major firearms industry names. We can achieve this by cross-promoting the AIRSOFT ACTION and Armed Lifestyle magazine titles, featuring key articles from both writing teams across both publications’ platforms.

AIRSOFT ACTION will also be supported by other sister companies under the Swanson Armory, LLC banner, including the nationally accredited Swanson Training Group (US & UK) and Legacy Coin Co which supplies top-quality custom challenge coins, morale patches, lapel pins, and more to first responders, firearms industry professionals, and non-profit organizations worldwide. With the support of our current and future sponsors and industry partners, I am very excited for where this journey is headed in the future.”

John, the new Editor for AIRSOFT ACTION, added “having been a specialist contributor to AIRSOFT ACTION for some considerable time, I was deeply honoured to be asked to take the reins of Editorship by Trampas, when Bill announced his step back from being Editorial Director.

Being given the opportunity to take AIRSOFT ACTION forward into GEN III with the same team and with my friend and mentor Trampas as owner of the magazine, I’m really looking forward to the challenge ahead. I’m pleased that Bill will still be acting as Editorial Consultant during the initial rollout, and has agreed to mentor me for a while as I find feet in my new role.”

With everything set now, the handover complete, and with the new management team and the entire AA Crew poised and ready to take that big step into the future, AIRSOFT ACTION GEN III will be back… and bigger and bolder than ever before!