10 Paying Video Game Markets for Freelance Article Submissions
Freelance tech writer Matthew Adams shares 10 paying video game markets for freelance article submissions from writers.
Video gaming is quite a big freelance writing market to break into. The video game industry is huge, and there are myriad gaming websites and magazines devoted to it. So, there are plenty of digital and print publications covering the Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony gaming platforms (consoles and Windows PC) that are open to freelance article submissions. Such publications include reviews, previews, news, features, and guide articles for video games.
The first step to breaking into the video game article market is to find websites or magazines that offer remuneration (pay) for gaming articles. You can search for and apply to join gaming websites seeking regular contributors via sites like Pro Blogger, Simply Hired, Blogging Jobs, and Indeed. Or find gaming publications open to less regular freelance article submissions (for which you’ll usually need to submit document files via email). These are 10 paying video game markets open to freelance article pitches and submissions.
Retro Format
Retro Format is a magazine devoted to old video games and consoles. This magazine is open to pitches for retro computer, console, and game feature articles typically more than 2,000 words in length. You can also pitch articles for shorter retro game reviews 500–750 words long. However, this magazine also reviews modern games that could become future classics.
Retro Format pays for articles published in it via PayPal. It offers €50 for longer feature pieces and €20 for shorter reviews. You can send pitches to Retro Format’s editorial@retro-format.com email address.
Geek Native
Geek Native is primarily a gaming website that covers tabletop video games, especially those of the roleplay (RPG) variety. It’s a site with a geek culture angle that also covers comics, movies, and TV alongside gaming. This website is open to pitches for console, mobile, and PC, gaming news, tips and tricks, and industry commentary (opinion article features).
Geek Native offers $0.12 per word for articles submitted between 750–1,000 words in length. The website uses PayPal for contributor payments. You can pitch articles to Geek Native via the contact form on the page linked below.
Rock Paper Shotgun
Rock Paper Shotgun is a website exclusively for Windows PC gaming. Thus, this website only includes articles about PC games. To be more specific, Rock Paper Shotgun is looking for retro PC gaming, coverage of big Windows games, interview-led features, and community-focused articles.
Rock Paper Shotgun offers £60–£250 remuneration for articles of variable length. This website also asks first-time contributors to include links for writing samples in their pitches. You can pitch article title ideas to Graham Smith at the graham@rockpapershotgun.com email address.
Games Industry.biz
The Games Industry.biz website is primarily for industry professionals and developers rather than gaming consumers. This website wants articles about the gaming industry rather than reviews, previews, and game tip pieces. It accepts pitches for academy, investigative, interview-led, and editorial articles related to the gaming industry.
Games Industry.biz offers a standard £250 rate for articles included. However, the remuneration offered can vary based on the article types submitted. This website also requests to see portfolios (samples) from first-time contributors in pitches. The email address for pitching articles to Games Industry.biz is contact@gamesindustry.biz.
Unwinnable
Unwinnable is a website and magazine open to freelance pitches for video game, comic, movie, and TV-related articles. The Unwinnable Monthly magazine is looking for gaming feature articles that entertain and illuminate. Or you can pitch Exploits and shorter story game pieces for the website.
The remuneration offered for video game articles included in Unwinnable Magazine is $0.5 per word. Unwinnable offers $15–$25 for shorter Exploit essays and website story pieces. The three email addresses for pitching game articles to Unwinnable are:
magazinesubmissions@unwinnable.com (magazine)
exploitssubmissions@unwinnable.com (Exploits)
websubmissions@unwinnable.com (short stories)
RPG Site
RPG Site is a website devoted to the role-playing game genre for all gaming platforms. This website includes guides, reviews, news, and feature articles about RPG games. This website is open to one-off pitches for articles about RPG games, such as Monster Hunter Wilds, Avowed, and Final Fantasy Rebirth VII.
RPG Site offers variable remuneration for articles included but does not specify exact figures. This website asks to discuss its commission rates for articles proposed. You can pitch article title ideas for RPG games to this website using the alex@rpgsite.net email address.
IGN
IGN is one of the biggest entertainment websites open to freelance article submissions for video game topics. This site accepts submissions for video game features, news, and preview articles. For game feature articles, IGN is looking for stories with reporting, explainers, and op-eds (opinion pieces) of various forms.
IGN offers feature article remuneration ranging from $300–$1,000. The website’s freelance rates for preview articles start at $300. For short news pieces, IGN offers a $30 base rate and $300–$400 for deeper investigative reports. To get in touch with IGN for pitching, you’ll need to fill out a form about pitched submissions on that site’s freelance page.
www.corp.ign.com/freelance-opportunities-and-guidelines
Outerhaven
The Outerhaven website covers the latest console, PC, and virtual reality games. This site is looking for guide (tip) articles that cover newer games, like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, and The First Berserker. Outerhaven is also open to pitches for list-style gaming articles about recent or timeless topics, reviews, and previews.
The Outerhaven offers $13–$20 for shorter and longer game guide pieces. It offers $10 for list articles with a minimal 300–500 words in length. The remuneration offered for op-eds, news, and preview articles ranges from 3–5 cents per word depending on the length. To pitch titles to Outerhaven, you’ll need to fill out an application form, for which a cover letter, CV, and article samples are required.
Restart
Restart is a new gaming website launched in 2024 open to freelance article submissions. This website is open to pitches for game features and review pieces. The site’s editorial promises to reply to pitches whether accepted or not.
The Restart editorial specifies an average rate of $200 for articles added to the site. However, the exact remuneration offered is determined by article type. This site asks for at least two article samples to be shown when pitching. You can send pitches to Brandy Berthelson at the brandy@moonrock.biz email address.
Polygon
Polygon is an entertainment website that covers video games, movies, TV, comics, and books. This site’s submission page provides detailed pitching guidelines but is a little vague about what type of gaming articles Polygon is inclined to include. However, Polygon is generally open to pitches for op-eds, essays, and other original reporting about video games.
Polygon doesn’t specify exactly what it pays for articles included but confirms it offers competitive rates. The website’s editorial will discuss the remuneration offered if your pitch is accepted. This website has a videogames@polygon.com email address for pitching video game article titles.
The digital and print publications above could be good starting points for breaking into video game article writing. They’re markets to which you can pitch and submit numerous video game article types, be it guide, feature, review, retro, news, or preview. Their rates vary considerably, with the bigger websites generally offering higher remuneration.
Matthew Adams is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles for various publications and websites, such as Swing Golf Magazine, TripAdvisor, Windows Report, Tech Junkie, MakeUseOf, Naval History, Military History Matters, Artilleryman, dotTech, and Bright Hub. He has been a freelance tech writer for more than 10 years. Matthew is also the author of Battles of the Pacific War 1941-1945. Check out the book’s blog at battlesofthepacificwar.blogspot.co.uk.
