Prominent gaming news website IGN has apologised and sacked a writer who was alleged to have plagiarised a game review.

The company was criticised after YouTuber Boomstick Gaming found similarities between his review of Motion Twin's multiplatform title Dead Cells and IGN's review of the same game.

Although the IGN review has since been removed, it can temporarily still be accessed via Google's webcache service.

In response, IGN have removed the review from their website, apologised to Boomstick Gaming and "parted ways" with the reviewer.

"We take our review process seriously," read an official statement. "We apologize to our readers, developer Motion Twin, and most especially the YouTuber known under Boomstick Gaming...

"After taking the time to investigate, we've determined there were substantial similarities between a review posted weeks earlier and our review that could not be justified...

"The review itself was simply not acceptable. We've parted ways with the writer involved."

How has the YouTuber responded?
Speaking to the BBC, Alex K - the man behind the Boomstick Gaming YouTube channel - explained his ideal outcome did not include the IGN writer losing his job.

"As for [the writer]," Alex K said, "this was his first video review for IGN.

"It is slightly understandable to seek knowledge from someone who has done multiple reviews before, but it should not have been replicated in this manner.

"I foster no ill will towards [him] and do not encourage the firing of this gentleman.

"I have been unemployed for six months now and would not wish this burden on anyone.

"I do not know much about the writer... but hopefully he finds a career soon."

And he confirmed he has been contacted by IGN Editorial Manager of Games Tina Amini, who offered her apologies to him and said she understood the efforts made by "passionate people" like him in their work.

What are the similarities between the reviews?
Alex K identifies 10 similarities between the two reviews in a video posted to his Boomstick Gaming YouTube channel.

Among his complaints, he claims both videos follow a similar structure, and refers to several incidents of phrases and sentences he says were lifted almost word-for-word.

For example, in one part of his review, Boomstick Gaming calls the combat system in Dead Cells "fast, fluid, responsive and one of the most rewarding representations of 2D combat of the entire genre".

While in their review, IGN say, "fights are fast, fluid, responsive and hands-down one of the most gratifying representations of video game combat I've ever experienced".