Games Happy

RPG Website is celebrating its twentieth anniversary at this time, June twenty eighth, 2026. After we launched as a hobbyist spin-off of a fansite, we had no concept that the positioning would develop into a correct video games media enterprise – and positively not that it might final for many years. There are various individuals to thank for that longevity – together with you, our readers.

Twenty years is an extremely very long time within the worlds of the web and video video games, and we’re tremendously proud. Should you’ll indulge me for just a few moments, I wish to discuss how we bought right here – and the place we plan to go subsequent.

Wanting Again: Fandom as Basis

RPG Website’s inception started with a easy thought: it was taking too rattling lengthy for Ultimate Fantasy XII to return out. Mike and I had made our place on the web creating fan websites and communities for a lot of issues: Sonic, Lord of the Rings, Video Recreation Music – however essentially the most profitable was all the time a collection of Ultimate Fantasy fansites – one for FF9, one for FF10, and at last a merged website that coated all of them. 

The now brief-looking 4-year hole between FF10 and FF12 (and the repeatedly-delayed Western model of FF11) appeared infinite on the time, and so I had an concept: why not increase to a website about all the style we liked? We’d already had profitable detours for RPGs like Breath of 6Fire, Wild Arms, Kingdom Hearts, and The Third Age – why not cowl the entire style? 

The choice to construct RPG Website after we did seems to be fairly canny now: we caught the tail finish of the explosion of Western RPGs being actually viable on consoles at simply the proper time. As we launched there was Oblivion, with Mass Impact proper across the nook, and on the PC we noticed the emergence of The Witcher. Dragon Age, Demon’s Souls, Borderlands, and the revival of Fallout was simply across the nook. In the meantime, Japan was pumping out the likes of Persona 3, Misplaced Odyssey, and Radiant Daybreak… we even finally bought FF12. In actuality, we weren’t such intelligent plotters – it was actually all only a blissful accident, dumb good luck.

On the time we have been hobbyists making just a few {dollars} right here and there, however I used to be additionally slowly making my method right into a profession in video games media correct, freelancing for the ‘professional’ web sites and magazines. From there I discovered classes, and my grandest aim started to materialize: to merge a few of skilled video games media’s values, expertise, and information with the eagerness and hyper-focused zeal of the fan websites I’d manned rising up. It’s on this idea that the RPG Website of at this time was solid, actually.

Over time, RPG Website grew – a bigger however no-less devoted workforce, extra readers, and extra assist from sport publishers. We attended our first E3 in 2008. Through the years, E3 particularly grew to become a bonding ritual – workforce members flying in from throughout with barely any finances, slumming it in low-rent motels and AirBNBs. There was an air of faking it ’til we made it, and equally a sense that we had made it, even when we by no means had the finances of the massive manufacturers. I’ve bought notably fond reminiscences of these days.

Appropriately for one thing with its roots in fandom, precise success form of crept up on us. I don’t even bear in mind when it actually occurred; it simply form of did. We haven’t seemed again, clearly.

One factor I’ll all the time be particularly happy with even from these earliest hobbyist days is RPG Website’s standing as a coaching floor for brand spanking new expertise. Lately I really like commerce reveals greater than ever, partially as a result of I usually stroll round and simply… see our alumni. Working communications at main publishers, knee-deep in sport growth, or nonetheless working in media at a few of our a lot larger friends and rivals. It’s in all probability the factor I’m most happy with, in truth: our individuals, previous and current.

For me, the whole lot has needed to be underpinned by one factor, although: that fannish love of RPGs that introduced us right here within the first place. This doesn’t imply we will’t be severe about video games – lord is aware of, there’s loads to fret about within the medium as of late – however we all the time attempt to put that love and celebration first. We all the time attempt to bear in mind and foreground the truth that we got here from fandom first. I believe we nonetheless do this – and I imagine we nonetheless will in one other decade, or two.

The Future: Aspect Quests and Extra… All the things

Our imaginative and prescient for RPG Website’s future is sort of much like what has come earlier than, and that’s as a result of we’ve all the time held one core perception about progress: I’d reasonably develop naturally and modestly than have interaction within the web site equal of pumping stuffed with steroids with low cost web optimization methods and clickbait nonsense, which accelerates progress however in a method that’s not solely garbage to learn, however usually finally ends up being unsustainable. 

That considering has slowly however absolutely pushed us to a very spectacular 4-5 million pageviews every month, which we’re extremely happy with – and I wish to be clear earlier than I discuss our future that we’ve no intention of dropping our identification within the hunt for infinite progress. We like who we’re and the way we’re, and the whole lot we’re going to do will probably be finished to take care of that.

With that stated, I needed to disclose some belongings you’ll see from us over the approaching months as we transfer to develop and have fun our twentieth anniversary.

Respec: A Aspect Quest

Beginning this week, RPG Website has a brand new sibling: Respec.web, an internet site about… video video games. And sport tradition generally, to be honest. Have been you anticipating one thing else?

It’s additionally an internet site with out limitations – we’ll cowl the whole lot, of any style – as long as somebody on the workforce is sufficiently thinking about it. Should you like the best way we method sport protection on RPG Website and have wished we had a overview for a non-RPG up to now, Respec is now your reply. The official launch is coming within the subsequent two weeks, however we have a model of the positioning stay now and we needed the RPG Website viewers to be the primary to see and beta check it. Forgive us any bugs you see, please.

I consider Respec as two issues. First, it’s a continuation of the RPG Website philosophy and content material mannequin in a extra basic setting, permitting us to department out with out cynically ruining RPG Website’s acknowledged scope. You’ll see many acquainted faces from right here over there, and clearly the positioning seems to be fairly related (if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it, proper?). You may discover similarities within the design, in how the positioning is organized, and even a cheeky RPG Website defend hiding within the brand.

However Respec can also be a continuation of some work I did elsewhere, at Gamer Community’s VG247 and Eurogamer. Gamer Community was an unbiased enterprise that went via a few large company acquisitions, and for each higher and worse it’s now a part of one of many largest company machines in video games media. Working in that ecosystem was fascinating, thrilling, and difficult in an finally rewarding method – however myself and some different latest Gamer Community leavers needed to see if we may recapture a few of what we liked doing there when it was an unbiased household enterprise on a brand new, unbiased model. The success we’ve at RPG Website reveals us that is nonetheless attainable – so right here we’re.

That’s Respec. We’d like it in case you may assist it with the identical eagerness you do RPG Website.

Help us Immediately, with Advert-Free Looking

One thing you guys have requested for constantly for years that we’ve by no means fairly bought round to constructing (since RPG Website is all custom-code and generally even conserving the positioning operating is a problem!) was a method so that you can assist us straight. I’m happy to say that as a part of our celebrations over the subsequent a number of months we’ll be launching a Patreon so that you can straight assist the workforce – and it’ll hook straight into the web site.

Which means that backers of RPG Website will quickly be capable of benefit from the website’s suite of stories, critiques, options, and guides utterly advertising-free. As well as, backers will be capable of take pleasure in a collection of new and unique options, particular neighborhood entry, and even the odd bodily bonus. In the meantime, the core website received’t be impacted – the identical stuff will stay out there totally free, ad-supported, as all the time. However in case you’ve needed to assist us as unbiased video games media straight, you’ll quickly have the possibility to take action.

The Greatest RPGs of All Time, as instructed by the individuals who made them

That is one particularly long-form characteristic you’ll be able to sit up for over the subsequent a number of months as we have fun 20 years. We’ve spent a while gathering feedback and ideas from pals of the positioning throughout the business, asking them to reveal the RPGs which might be the very best or most vital to them, and why. 

There are some actually unimaginable names becoming a member of us on this journey – builders and names you’ll acknowledge behind many video games you’ve liked, and even some upcoming video games you’re hotly anticipating. Right here they reveal their inspirations and loves – maybe serving to so as to add just a few issues to your backlog within the course of. This one nonetheless wants slightly longer within the oven (and if you’re a developer pal or reader who wish to participate, please get in contact) – however sit up for it quickly.

GOTY Backfill and Overview

As we get in the direction of the tip of the yr, we’ll be working internally amongst our contributors to pore over RPG Website’s picks for Recreation of the 12 months over time (did we get it proper? Did you, within the person ballot?) in addition to to fill in just a few of our earlier years the place we didn’t crown an outright GOTY winner. 

We’ll even be operating further polls round discovering out what your favorite RPGs of the positioning’s existence are – and all this may run in tandem with our traditional year-end GOTY content material.

Onwards

So, that’s it. Twenty years. Time flies once you’re having enjoyable. Enjoyable – loving video games and having an obsessive love for a selected style – is and all the time would be the spine of this web site. I actually hope you retain studying, and that we will hold this up for a few years to return.

All that continues to be is to say: Thank You.

Thanks to our unimaginable record of contributors previous and current. Thanks to each sport developer or communications specialist who has considered us and given us time, understanding that talking to a core area of interest viewers is significant. And thanks most of all to you, for studying. As one previous RPG adage goes, there ain’t no gettin’ offa this prepare we’re on. Onwards.

– Alex Donaldson, Co-Founder and Writer // June twenty eighth, 2026.