Hookshot, the games‑media publisher behind titles such as Nintendo Life, Push Square, Pure Xbox and the retro‑focused Time Extension, has unveiled its latest venture: Steam Hype, a brand‑new outlet dedicated to PC gaming. This marks the fifth property in Hookshot’s portfolio, a group in which IGN Entertainment – the parent company of GamesIndustry.biz – retains a minority share after acquiring the Gamer Network. Steam Hype completes Hookshot’s cross‑platform suite, adding a dedicated voice for Valve’s ecosystem alongside its console‑centric sites. The launch arrives just three months after Hookshot introduced Respec, another UK‑based initiative, and at a time when the broader games‑media landscape is grappling with a prolonged downturn.
Recent months have seen the closure of Paste Games, the wholesale lay‑off of the editorial staff at Walmart‑backed Restart, and a steady rhythm of reductions across other outlets. Despite that bleak backdrop, Hookshot’s chief executive, Dickens, argues that the company’s independent ownership – akin to Respec’s parent Double Black – gives it the flexibility to grow while competitors contract. "One of the advantages of remaining (majority) independently owned is that we aren’t answerable to shareholders with an insatiable demand for year‑on‑year growth," Dickens told GamesIndustry.biz. "Even though games‑media sites are in a contraction phase, that doesn’t prevent us from adapting and continuing our successes." Steam Hype’s editorial philosophy is summed up in its tagline: “What’s Hot?
& What’s Next on Steam?” Dickens explains that this means the site will rely heavily on human‑led curation and recommendation. While AAA releases dominate headlines, Steam sees a relentless stream of new titles each day. The goal of Steam Hype is to highlight the games that are most compelling or deserving of a player’s attention. To that end, the site will publish a monthly playlist of noteworthy new releases and a weekly roundup of significant updates and fresh drops.
The emphasis, as the name suggests, is on Steam – not only the games but also Valve’s expanding hardware lineup, including the Steam Deck and the newer Steam Machine concepts. Dickens acknowledges that directly challenging established PC‑gaming powerhouses such as PC Gamer or its sister site Rock Paper Shotgun would be “foolish,” yet he believes there is still room for a publication that leans more heavily toward indie discovery and deep‑dive coverage. "PC gaming has always been our blind spot for one reason or another," he says.
"The question keeps coming up: ‘Why don’t you have a PC site?’ – and now we finally have an answer. In our view, the PC scene has never been healthier; the volume of interesting games is at an all‑time high, and the barriers to entry are lower than ever." The editorial team is led by Hookshot co‑founder and editorial director Damien McFerran, with indie‑game writer and influencer Dominic Tarason serving as the head editor. Tarason, a frequent contributor to PC Gamer and Rock Paper Shotgun, brings a strong indie perspective to the new venture.
Noah McFerran will join as a junior staff writer. Revenue will be generated primarily through advertising, with sales managed by IGN Entertainment, but the site will also tap into Hookshot’s reader‑funded supporter programme that offers ad‑free browsing for contributors. Although the primary focus will be Steam, Dickens notes that Steam Hype is open to covering noteworthy releases on other platforms.
"There are fantastic games on Itch.io, and we’ll dip into that space from time to time, but our core mission is to stay centred on Steam and see how that evolves," he explains. The team has not entered into any formal partnership or discussion with Valve regarding the launch. Because the PC market is an open ecosystem, the audience for Steam Hype is less narrowly defined than for Hookshot’s console‑centric brands. Dickens believes, however, that a clear focus will attract a community of like‑minded players.
"With PC games you naturally take a more holistic view," he says. "A single Nintendo Direct can showcase a year’s worth of releases, but there are dozens of PC and indie showcases each year, and they still only scratch the top 5‑10 % of the iceberg on Steam. Valve’s recent hardware pushes – the Steam Machine and Steam Deck – make the PC space feel more comparable to our console sites, just with a far larger library to cover." At present, the biggest challenge for Steam Hype is audience building. Dickens expects growth to be largely organic, driven by cross‑promotion from Hookshot’s existing sites, partnerships, friends, and the team’s robust social‑media presence.
Articles will also be cross‑posted across Hookshot’s network, which all share a common content‑management system. This infrastructure proved valuable when expanding the retro brand Time Extension after its 2022 launch, and Dickens hopes to replicate that success with Steam Hype.
Despite the media‑industry headwinds, Hookshot reports a relatively healthy performance, bolstered in part by the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. "It’s been a decent couple of years for us," Dickens says. "We have seen some of the traffic declines that are being reported across the sector, but they have been less severe for us." He adds that IGN Entertainment’s commercial representation has been a major asset, allowing Hookshot to concentrate on producing quality content.
Looking ahead, Dickens is optimistic about Nintendo platforms, while noting that PlayStation has experienced a "slightly weird" year and that the discourse around the brand has been “quite something to witness.” He also points to solid growth on Pure Xbox in 2026 as evidence that the company can thrive across multiple ecosystems. For Steam Hype, the short‑term financial goal is simple: break even within the first year.
Beyond that, the ambition is to establish a recognizable brand that developers aspire to be featured in. Dickens envisions the Steam Hype Playlist becoming a badge of honour for creators and a trusted starting point for gamers hunting their next experience. "We think there’s an audience hungry for Steam Hype’s particular brand of games journalism," he says.
"We’re not here to re‑hash the latest big‑budget trailer showcase. We want to tell you what’s actually out there, ready to play now, and why it matters." With more than 16 years of experience running games‑media brands, the Hookshot team knows the challenges of launching a new site. Yet Dickens remains enthusiastic. "It’s really tough out there for both games media and game development, but we’re in it for the long haul," he concludes, underscoring the company’s commitment to carving out a niche in the bustling world of PC gaming.