Games media publisher Hookshot has launched Steam Hype, a new PC-focused media outlet. It is the fifth site launched by Hookshot – in which GamesIndustry.biz parent IGN Entertainment holds a minority stake through its acquisition of Gamer Network – and completes the firm’s platform lineup alongside Nintendo Life, Push Square, Pure Xbox, and retro brand Time Extension.
The announcement comes three months after the debut of Respec, also launched by veteran UK operators, but amid a prolonged downturn in the media business in general and in games specifically, which only last month saw Paste Games shuttered and the Walmart-backed outlet Restart laying off its entire editorial team alongside a steady drumbeat of staff cuts at other outlets. Hookshot CEO Dickens says the firm’s independence – similar to Respec parent Double Black – means it has the room to expand while others contract.
“One of the benefits of still being (majority) independently owned is that we’re not beholden to shareholders and their insatiable appetite for year-on-year growth,” he tells GamesIndustry.biz. “Whilst games media websites are indeed in a contraction phase, that doesn’t mean we can’t adapt and continue our successes.”
Steam Hype has the guiding mantra of “What’s Hot? & What’s Next on Steam?” Dickens says this means that “human-led curation and recommendation will be mission-critical for us. Aside from AAA games, a perpetual avalanche of games is released on Steam daily, and our purpose is to spotlight the ones we think are most interesting or deserving of your time.” This includes a monthly playlist of worthy new titles and a weekly list of notable updates and new releases.
The focus is, as the title makes clear, Steam: chiefly games, but also Valve’s expanding hardware range. Dickens says the site would be “foolish to compete directly” with established PC gaming sites like PC Gamer and GI sibling Rock Paper Shotgun, but that Hookshot believes “there is room for a more games-focused publication that leans more toward indie and discovery.”
“PC gaming has always been our blind spot, for one reason or another,” he says. “The question often still comes up, though: ‘Why don’t you guys do a PC site?’, and we’re finally answering it. In our opinion, the PC gaming scene has never had it better; the sheer amount of interesting games has never been higher, and the barrier to entry has never been lower.”
The site will be overseen by Hookshot co-founder and editorial director Damien McFerran, while editorial will be spearheaded by indie game writer and influencer Dominic Tarason, who has been a regular contributor to PC Gamer and Rock Paper Shotgun. Noah McFerran will serve as junior staff writer. It will be advertising-funded – with sales handled by IGN Entertainment – but also supported by the reader-funded supporter program used on Hookshot’s other sites, which gives users ad-free browsing.
The age of Steam
Steam Hype is open to covering releases on other platforms, says Dickens, but the vast majority of coverage will be games on Valve’s platform. “There are some great games on Itch, and of course we’ll step into that area occasionally; however, we want to keep the focus on Steam and see how that goes.” The team has not spoken to Valve about the site.
While the PC being an open platform means the site has a less well-defined audience than Hookshot’s other brands, Dickens believes its focus will bring like-minded players together. “With PC games it’s hard not to take a more holistic outlook, though,” he says. “You might see a year’s big releases in a single Nintendo Direct, but there are dozens of PC and indie-focused showcases happening every year, and they still only cover the top 5-10% of the iceberg on Steam alone. Another way of looking at it is that Valve has just released Steam Machine and also has Steam Deck, so in that respect, is it that different from our console sites? We’ve just got a lot more choice of games to cover.”
The site’s current priority is building an audience, a process Dickens says will be chiefly organic and spearheaded by “our other websites, partners and friends” alongside the team’s sizable social media following. The firm will also be cross-posting relevant Steam Hype articles to its other sites; all Hookshot’s sites share the same CMS, which Dickens says has proved particularly useful for growing the audience of its retro brand Time Extension, launched in 2022.
That site is now well established, and Dickens says the Hookshot business is doing well despite the well-publicised downturn in the media landscape, helped by the launch of Nintendo Switch 2. “It’s been a decent couple of years for us,” he says. “Whilst we have certainly seen some of the same traffic reduction that has been reported as widespread, it seems to have been less severe for us.”
“We’re fortunate to have IGN Entertainment representing our sites commercially, and they’ve done a great job, which lets us focus on making the best content possible for our audiences.”
He says that the future is looking bright for Nintendo platforms, while “PlayStation has been in a slightly weird place this year, and recent discourse towards the brand has been quite something to witness. It’ll be interesting to see how this all pans out.” Meanwhile the firm has seen “really solid growth” on Pure Xbox in 2026.
“It’s really tough out there for both games media and game development, but we’re in it for the long haul.”Anthony Dickens
As for Steam Hype, “the goal for any new venture is break-even; if we can reach that within a year, that would be amazing. Beyond establishing the brand and what it stands for, we know we need to earn the right to exist.” He’s hopeful that inclusion in regulars like the Steam Hype Playlist will become “a real badge of honour” for developers as well as a staring point for players looking for their next game.
“We also think that there’s an audience hungry for Steam Hype’s particular brand of games journalism,” he says. “We’re generally not here to repeat to you what was in the latest big trailer showcase. We’re here to tell you what’s out and available to play now, and why it’s interesting.”
With 16 years of experience running games media brands under their belt, the Hookshot team is under no illusions as to how hard it is to launch a new site, but Dickens says they’re “excited for the challenge.”
“It’s really tough out there for both games media and game development, but we’re in it for the long haul.”