Hey there! Nothing like an evening blog post to get the momentum going. Long time no see, or rather, long time no blog post, since I tend to see community work as both a professional and personal pursuit. (Shoutout to several long conversations with my sister-in-law about Grow a Garden) For those who haven’t met or heard of me, I’m Dylan “DToast” Host, Community Manager for Fandom Media. I also help manage the SOAP team and handle some of the technical safety aspects across our platforms. I’ve got several updates and bits of info to share, starting with a quick branding note: in case it hasn’t already filtered through or wasn’t obvious from the blog title, News & Rating, which includes GameFAQs, GameSpot, Comic Vine, TV Guide, and Metacritic, is now officially known as Fandom Media. For each of the updates below, I’ll give a brief, semi-corporate synopsis of the site (for anyone new), followed by what’s been happening lately. Onward!
GameFAQs[]
GameFAQs is a long-running, community-driven website focused on providing detailed information and user-generated content (UGC) for video games. Founded in 1995, 30 years ago this November 5th! (I’m old, but the site still has me beat, lol) It’s best known for its extensive library of FAQs, walkthroughs, cheat codes, game saves, and user-contributed guides covering nearly every console and PC game released since the early ’80s.
Bounties[]
GameFAQs offers paid freelance work to write guides for Fandom. It’s open to everyone who meets the listed requirements. Since the program began, over 150+ guides have been created, totaling about $64,500 paid out to contributors and generating 115 million+ page views! A few recent highlights include:
Last year, we experimented with cross-linking guides using the widget system. While it was a worthwhile test, it didn’t reach its full potential, mainly due to a lack of relevant content and insufficient collaboration with wiki editors. Throughout 2025, I’ve been working with Kurt to reintroduce a “soft” version of cross-linking, this time in partnership with editors. Bandwidth has been tight, but I’m committed to giving it another go. So, if you receive a message from me soon, please say hi! Let’s chat about ideas.
Events[]
Since around April 2001, GameFAQs has hosted monthly user-submitted Review(s) of the Month and FAQ(s) of the Month events. These paused in July 2024 due to bandwidth constraints, but not anymore! Starting in September, with the official relaunch in October, the program is back. Winners will receive Fanatical gift cards, so come join the fun and celebrate community talent.
Comic Vine[]
Comic Vine is another long-running, community-driven site centered on comic books and related media. Founded in 2006, it serves as both a comprehensive comic database and a social hub for fans of superheroes, creators, and stories across all publishers. It’s best known for its extensive wiki, which covers characters, teams, story arcs, and issues meticulously maintained by a passionate community. Over the years, Comic Vine has also been home to lively forums, fan debates, and editorials about the latest in comics and pop culture. While there’s not too much I can announce just yet, I want to shout out the amazing, relentless community work happening there. The top contributors and their creative formatting efforts (like those showcased here or here) are a joy to see. They do an incredible job! Behind the scenes, some exciting projects are in the works (TBA/TBD), but I can share a couple of teasers:
- The glorious chaos that is the Modcast (yes, a podcast hosted by yours truly and mods across Fandom Media).
- Upcoming community-driven articles we’re putting together. Feel free to join in!
Next Time[]
In the next blog, I’ll spotlight the fantastic work happening across Metacritic, GameSpot, and TV Guide, along with what’s next for Fandom Media as a whole. Have a great evening (or morning, depending on when you’re reading), and if you have any questions or suggestions, drop them in the comments!
I'm a huge fan of Fallout, History, and Star Wars.
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