Game News Coverage Slows in Q1 2025, Down Over 100,000 Articles

Video game websites produced 13% fewer articles in Q1 2025, according to the data from Press Engine, a PR tool that developers and publishers use to send game codes and press releases to a database of journalists and content creators.

The top 135 video game websites published over 635,000 articles in Q1 of this year, showing a decline of more than 13%, or over 100,000 articles, compared to the same period in 2024.

That figure includes reviews, news, guides, features and code pages from websites across the globe. While the steepest declines were seen at guide-focused publications, major media outlets like IGN, GameSpot, Famitsu and Eurogamer also experienced significant drops.

It is worth noting that Press Engine has seen 2,902 press contacts vanish from its database over the past two years. While this figure includes amateur, part-time and freelance journalists, it also reflects the widespread layoffs that have affected nearly every major gaming media outlet.

The other major factor contributing to the decline in video game articles is a growing focus on covering mostly major titles, a shift influenced by recent changes to the Google search engine.

The Gamurs group of video game websites, which includes Game Rant, DualShockers, TheGamer, Screen Rant, Gamepur and Comic Book Resources (CBR), has been facing significant challenges over the past year. These difficulties also stem from changes in Google’s search algorithm, which have drastically affected the visibility of the network’s SEO-optimized content.

“Given the number of journalists leaving the industry, a drop in articles is to be expected, but the shift has been dramatic since Google’s Helpful Content Update,” stated Gareth Williams, founder of Press Engine.

Due to these changes, while game media is focusing more on covering larger AAA titles, it makes it harder for independent studios and publishers to get their games discovered.