PCGamesN has been writing about the world of PC gaming and hardware for over ten years. In that time, we’ve honed our craft, creating an editorial policy that reflects our commitment to the industry: producing top-quality news, reviews, guides, and features that are accurate, fair, and honest.
Below you’ll find our editorial policy in full. If you feel that our work has fallen short of these standards, please contact the editor.
Corrections
PCGamesN and Network N Media understand the importance of accuracy, so much so that it’s one of the company’s core values. Every story is fact-checked by staff and editors before publication, but in the unlikely event that a mistake has been made we will fix it at the earliest opportunity, noting the correction in an update box pinned to the top of the article.
Sources
PCGamesN does not pay any source for information. Anonymous sources will be protected, but their identities will be checked before publication.
Non-disclosure agreements and embargoes
PCGamesN will often sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with videogame and hardware developers to gain early access or information about an upcoming project. We will only sign an NDA if it is fair and does not compromise our ability to meet the standards we set out in this policy.
Sometimes, as part of those NDAs, PCGamesN may travel to events to get their hands on a specific product or interview its creators. The site will accept payment for travel and accommodation, but nothing else.
Similarly, PCGamesN often receives free copies of games and products for reviews and other work. While the product is provided to us for free, the conclusions we come to are ours and ours alone.
We will never be influenced by a publisher or developer on a review score. We will also never provide a publisher or developer with the opportunity to sign off on an article. You can find out more about how we review games and products here.
Conflict of interest
All PCGamesN staff members are required to disclose any conflicts of interest that could sway their judgment or affect their journalistic integrity. Staff will not be permitted to write about something in which they have a conflict of interest.
Attribution
PCGamesN will always credit the original source of a story unless that story has been provided directly to the editorial team. Photographs, videos, and social media posts used to illustrate or provide context to a story will also be credited.
Rumors
Occasionally we’ll take the decision to report on a rumor. We will only do so if the rumor is credible or we’re able to verify it ourselves.
PCGamesN also runs a number of release date guides. We will only publish a release date guide if we can confirm a game or product is planned for the future. In the event that we do not yet know the exact release date, this will be made clear in both the headline and the copy, with the relevant information pointing towards a release window grounded in fact.
Advertising
The adverts found on PCGamesN are handled by Publisher Collective – a separate company to Network N Media. As such, the editorial team has no oversight on the adverts being run at any given time.
These adverts are accepted or designed based on their reflection of our values as a business. However, if you feel that any advert has fallen short of those expectations, please contact the editor.
Sponsored content
PCGamesN sometimes works with gaming brands to publish sponsored content (known as advertorials). These articles are always easy to spot as they’ll be clearly marked as promoted content so you can tell whether it’s an original editorial piece or an advertorial.
While the articles are written by Project N on behalf of the client, PCGamesN’s editorial team will always have final sign-off to ensure they comply with our editorial guidelines.
Affiliate links and ecommerce
PCGamesN is run by expert game journalists and written for passionate gamers. Through our reviews, buying guides, and news we aim to cover the latest gaming hardware and offer an honest opinion on whether you should buy a game or product – backed up by real-life testing. You can read our full how we test page here.
One of the ways that we fund our expert hardware team is through affiliate links, where we receive a small commission when you purchase a product or service that we’ve recommended. Our editorial content remains unbiased, and we would never change our opinion in reviews simply to encourage more clicks to retailers. We also don’t accept payment from manufacturers in exchange for a higher position in our guides.
We want you to trust our buying advice, and we’re transparent about how we make money. The disclaimer on our homepage states that PCGamesN will sometimes feature links to retail stores, and our parent company Network N Media will receive a small commission on purchases generated from these links.
Last revision: March 25, 2024