For the first time in five years, Playboy is going to print. The notorious men’s magazine is well-known for many reasons and is one of the most recognizable adult magazines to exist. It started in 1953 by Hugh Hefner (thanks in part to a $1,000 loan from his mother), and was in print for nearly seventy years before the final issue went to press on March 17, 2020, right as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world.

And now, the magazine is back in print for February 2025, featuring Steve Harvey’s 28-year-old daughter, Lori Harvey, as the cover girl and the 2025 Playmate of the Year, Gillian Nation. Nation made her debut as a playmate in a $10 million diamond-studded Playboy bunny costume during the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

When asked how she felt to be the first Playmate featured after a five-year hiatus, Nation said: “It’s an honor to be chosen and to represent them, especially with them making this comeback.”

“I wanted to do [classic Playboy] justice. Part of that is going fully nude. I think if you’re going to do it, you embrace it. I could have done a peekaboo moment, but I felt like being part of the magazine means you do the whole thing. I wanted to do right by them, and they’ve given me a lot of responsibility,” she shared. “I just want to make everybody proud.”

But the adult-entertainment world is very different than it was when Playboy left the market five years ago. The magazine had been struggling to find its footing for years before shuttering, choosing to stop publishing explicit photos in 2015 before reversing the decision in 2017. It’s unclear what kind of demand they’re going to see in 2025 where pornography and naked photos are available on-demand on platforms like OnlyFans.

OnlyFans reportedly has over 305 million registered users, many of whom subscribe to see very niche content. Content that Playboy just can’t compete with, at least not in print form. But supporters like Nation argue that the history and lore of Playboy will be enough to lure subscribers in.

“I think people will have to appreciate Playboy’s history. Obviously, it can’t compete in the same way as in, I guess you could say with OnlyFans or all these different platforms where people can say, ‘You can see more.’ But that’s not really the point. The point is that it’s something classic, and that’s what it’s always been. And, so, I think that people will have to appreciate it for what it is.”

Nation continued, pointing out that “anybody can make an OnlyFans.”

Which is true. Anyone can make an OnlyFans account and, in theory, make a lot of money from it. Playboy, on the other hand, has always been less about the model’s individual brand and more about curating models who suit Playboy’s own brand. And while that is their prerogative, only time will tell if it will keep them profitable while they return to print. Or if this will be a limited run as they try to determine where they stand in the adult entertainment industry in 2025.

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