The editorial evolution of a video game journalism giant
In short: Eurogamer has spent over two decades navigating the tension between objective scoring and subjective critique. From abandoning its rating system to protest industry influence, to returning to a simplified five-point scale, the site's history reveals how media outlets struggle to define 'quality' in an era of rapid digital consumption.
Launched on September 4, 1999, Eurogamer was established by a founding team including John Bye, Patrick Stokes, and Rupert Loman. The platform rapidly established itself as an industry staple, acting as the primary digital media ally for Europe's 2002 Computer Trade Show. During 2012's final months, its audience grew notably, with traffic to ten non-English European editions rising by more than ten percent within one year.
The site's approach to criticism has undergone dramatic shifts. In February 2015, Eurogamer famously abandoned its traditional ten-point review scale. The move was motivated by a belief that scores lacked utility and a desire to be delisted from the aggregator Metacritic, which they viewed as having an 'unhealthy influence' on the gaming industry. Instead, they used descriptive labels like "Essential" or "Avoid." However, in May 2023, the publication returned to scoring, adopting a five-point scale for its simplicity and shareability.
Ownership and content structure have also seen major transitions. Reed Exhibitions (a RELX branch) purchased the portal in 2018, prior to its May 2024 sale to IGN Entertainment (a Ziff Davis offshoot). A notable piece of its heritage is Digital Foundry, a technology blog founded in 2004 that hosted on the site from 2007 to 2025. In August 2025, ownership of Digital Foundry was sold back to founder Richard Leadbetter and original Eurogamer founder Rupert Loman for an equal cost, supported by approximately $200,000 in annual Patreon funding.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Eurogamer
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