Rock Paper Shotgun
Rock Paper Shotgun is a UK-based PC gaming digital media publication founded in 2007, operating as a subsidiary brand under IGN Entertainment. It serves PC gaming enthusiasts worldwide with news, reviews, guides, hardware coverage, and daily puzzle solutions via its website, social channels, Discord, and a paid Supporter subscription.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersRichmond, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Rock Paper Shotgun does
Rock Paper Shotgun is a UK-domiciled digital media publication focused exclusively on PC gaming, founded in 2007 and operated under the Gamer Network Limited legal entity (an affiliate of IGN Entertainment, Inc.). The company publishes news articles, reviews, features, hardware coverage, guides, videos, podcasts, and deals content targeted at PC gaming enthusiasts. Its product portfolio centers on the rockpapershotgun.com web platform, supplemented by an interactive Wordle Solver tool, email newsletters, RSS feeds, a Discord community, and a paid Supporter subscription offering ad-free browsing, a monthly editorial letter, supporter-exclusive content, and merchandise discounts. Distribution extends globally via the website and across eight owned social media channels (YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, BlueSky, LinkedIn).
The underlying technology is a content publishing platform with community features including commenting, user accounts, and personalization logic (the 'For You' homepage section). The publication has accumulated a deep historical content archive, with at least 462 pages of PC-platform content and 519 pages of indie genre content, which functions as a compounding SEO asset particularly for high-intent editorial moments such as daily puzzle solution guides.
The business model is a hybrid of three revenue streams: display advertising and sponsored content (the primary stream), recurring Supporter subscriptions, and affiliate commerce commissions generated from deals content. The site reaches PC gaming consumers directly via organic search and social channels in a direct-to-consumer model, with editorial headquarters tied to Gamer Network Limited's Brighton office and a London office location listed in the website footer. Geographic focus is explicitly UK-directed per the Terms & Conditions, with broader EMEA service scope. The publication is part of a broader gaming media portfolio under IGN Entertainment alongside Eurogamer, VG247, and Nintendo Life, with Julian Benson serving as Editorial Director since 2023.
Rock Paper Shotgun firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rock Paper Shotgun
- Legal name
- Rock Paper Shotgun
- Website
- https://rockpapershotgun.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rock Paper Shotgun is a UK-based PC gaming digital media publication founded in 2007, operating as a subsidiary brand under IGN Entertainment. It serves PC gaming enthusiasts worldwide with news, reviews, guides, hardware coverage, and daily puzzle solutions via its website, social channels, Discord, and a paid Supporter subscription.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rock Paper Shotgun industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Gaming Media and Digital Editorial
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Science, Technology & Gaming Magazines (MPAJAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Game Reviews & Criticism (Critiques, Scores, Editorial Reviews) (MPAFAMAB)
Keywords
Where Rock Paper Shotgun is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richmond
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Rock Paper Shotgun business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Advertising: Display advertising and sponsored content on the website generating revenue from page views and impressions
- Subscription/Supporters: Paid subscription offering ad-free browsing, monthly letter from editor, and discounts on RPS merchandise. The site explicitly mentions supporter-funded articles and encourages subscriptions for ad-free experience
- Affiliate Commerce: Commission revenue from affiliate links in deal articles. The site states 'We may receive a small commission' on product recommendations and deal posts
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Ad-free subscription with supporter benefits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Rock Paper Shotgun product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rock Paper Shotgun operates a PC gaming editorial website that publishes news articles, game reviews, hardware coverage, guides, features, videos, podcasts, and a deals section targeted at PC gaming enthusiasts. It supplements its editorial output with an interactive Wordle Solver tool, a paid supporter subscription for ad-free browsing, newsletters, RSS feeds, and a Discord community, all distributed through its owned digital platform.
Product overview
Rock Paper Shotgun operates as a single unified PC gaming news and editorial website, offering articles, reviews, guides, news, hardware coverage, videos, podcasts, and deals. The site provides a Wordle Solver tool as a supplementary interactive feature and offers a Supporter subscription for ad-free browsing and exclusive content. The platform also provides newsletters and RSS feeds for content delivery, and maintains a Discord community for reader engagement. It is owned by IGN Entertainment and managed under Gamer Network Limited.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Rock Paper Shotgun Website A PC gaming news and editorial website featuring articles, reviews, guides, news, hardware coverage, videos, podcasts, and a deals section covering video games and PC gaming, targeted at PC gaming enthusiasts.
- Supporter Subscription A paid monthly subscription service offering ad-free browsing, monthly editorial letters, supporter-exclusive articles, and discounts on RPS merchandise, targeted at readers who want an ad-free experience and to fund the publication.
- Wordle Solver Tool An interactive standalone web tool that helps players solve Wordle puzzles by analyzing their current guesses and suggesting potential answers, available to the general public on the Rock Paper Shotgun website.
Companies that use Rock Paper Shotgun
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Rock Paper Shotgun technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Rock Paper Shotgun partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rock Paper Shotgun competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Eurogamer: A sister gaming publication also owned by Gamer Network Limited under IGN Entertainment. Eurogamer covers gaming news, reviews, and features with a UK editorial base, making it a closely comparable peer within the same corporate portfolio.
- Destructoid: An independent gaming publication with a strong community and editorial voice covering news, reviews, and opinion. Destructoid competes for the same enthusiast reader segment and indie gaming coverage.
- GamesRadar: A multi-platform gaming publication covering news, reviews, guides, and deals across PC, console, and mobile. Overlap is strongest in PC gaming coverage, hardware deals, and guides content.
- PC Gamer: The leading dedicated PC gaming publication, covering news, reviews, hardware, and guides. PC Gamer is the closest direct competitor to Rock Paper Shotgun in PC gaming editorial and serves an overlapping enthusiast audience.
- Kotaku: A major gaming media outlet covering news, reviews, features, and opinion. While broader than PC-only, Kotaku competes for the same engaged gaming enthusiast audience and overlapping advertiser base.
- PCGamesN: A dedicated PC gaming news, reviews, and guides site. PCGamesN operates in the same PC gaming niche as RPS with a similar SEO-driven content strategy and hardware/deal coverage.
- VG247: A gaming news and reviews outlet also under Gamer Network Limited. VG247 overlaps with RPS in editorial coverage and shares corporate ownership, making it both a peer and an internal sibling brand.
- Polygon: A prominent gaming and entertainment publication with deep reviews, news, and features coverage. Polygon competes for the same gaming-journalism audience and shares overlapping advertiser and reader segments with RPS.
Broad incumbents
- GameSpot: One of the largest general gaming media outlets covering multi-platform news, reviews, and video content. GameSpot operates at significantly larger scale than RPS but overlaps in PC gaming news, hardware coverage, and advertising demand.
- IGN: The parent-level gaming media brand within IGN Entertainment. IGN covers all platforms and entertainment verticals, dwarfing RPS in scale but operating as a sister outlet serving an overlapping enthusiast readership.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rock Paper Shotgun social profiles
Digital presenceRock Paper Shotgun financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rock Paper Shotgun leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Rock Paper Shotgun funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rock Paper Shotgun M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rock Paper Shotgun
What does Rock Paper Shotgun do?
Rock Paper Shotgun operates a PC gaming editorial website that publishes news articles, game reviews, hardware coverage, guides, features, videos, podcasts, and a deals section targeted at PC gaming enthusiasts. It supplements its editorial output with an interactive Wordle Solver tool, a paid supporter subscription for ad-free browsing, newsletters, RSS feeds, and a Discord community, all distributed through its owned digital platform.
Is Rock Paper Shotgun a public or private company?
Rock Paper Shotgun is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Rock Paper Shotgun founded?
Rock Paper Shotgun was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rock Paper Shotgun based?
Rock Paper Shotgun is headquartered in Richmond, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Rock Paper Shotgun make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are subscription/Supporters and affiliate Commerce.
Who are Rock Paper Shotgun's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Eurogamer, Destructoid, GamesRadar, PC Gamer, Kotaku, PCGamesN, VG247 and Polygon. Broad incumbents are GameSpot and IGN.
Does Rock Paper Shotgun have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rock Paper Shotgun.
What industry is Rock Paper Shotgun in?
Rock Paper Shotgun's product category is Gaming Media and Digital Editorial. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAL, Science, Technology & Gaming Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAFAMAB, Game Reviews & Criticism (Critiques, Scores, Editorial Reviews). Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.