PlayTheory exists because gaming coverage is drowning in slop — recycled leaks presented as fact, AI-generated “news,” headlines that promise what articles don’t deliver. These are the rules we hold ourselves to. They’re public so you can hold us to them too.
1. Every claim gets a source
If we state a fact, we link where it came from. Primary sources (Rockstar Newswire, publisher announcements, official storefronts) outrank aggregators, and we say when we’re relying on the latter.
2. Every leak gets labelled
Rumours, leaks, analyst predictions, and datamines are never presented as fact. In our ledgers, unconfirmed claims carry a visible ⚠ UNCONFIRMED marker. No exceptions for exciting rumours — especially not for exciting rumours.
3. We never use leaked or datamined assets
Images come from official press kits, our own captures, or our own design work — always credited in the caption or the article footer. We do not use images from leaked builds, uncredited fan art, or AI-generated images presented as game footage. Where we apply a house treatment to official art, we say so and still credit the rights holder.
4. Corrections are visible
When we get something wrong, we correct the article, stamp it updated, and note what changed. We don’t silently rewrite history.
5. Ledgers stay current or say they aren’t
Living documents like the GTA VI hub carry update stamps. If something is past its review date, treat it as stale — and tell us.
6. Tools assist, editors decide
We use automation and AI tools to help gather sources and prepare drafts — the way newsrooms use wire feeds and spellcheck. The ideas, the reporting judgments, and the editing are ours, and nothing publishes without an editor reviewing and approving it. If a piece falls short of that standard, that is on us, not the tools.
7. Money never buys coverage
Affiliate links and sponsorships are always disclosed where they appear. Review scores and editorial positions are not for sale, at any price.
Spot us breaking our own rules? Call it out in the PlayTheory Discord. Publicly. That’s the point.
How the ledger works: our labelling criteriaEvery claim on a PlayTheory ledger carries one of five labels. These aren’t vibes — they’re rules, and we hold ourselves to them in public:
An official first-party statement, document, or filing — Rockstar, Take-Two, Ubisoft, a platform holder, a regulator. Analyst estimates never qualify, however credible the firm.
Two or more independent, credible sources converging on the same claim — or one source with a strong verified track record on this exact beat.
Single-source claims, projections, and forward estimates. We always name the source and its nature — “analyst projection, not a measured figure.”
A claim in circulation that no credible source has yet stood behind. We list it so you know we’ve seen it — not because we believe it.
Authoritatively contradicted by a first-party statement, or retracted by the originating source. Debunked items stay on the ledger, struck through — corrections are the product.
When we relabel: if new information moves a claim between states — or we applied a label wrongly — we change it, note the change in the article, and log it in the ledger’s changelog with the date. A ledger that never corrects itself isn’t a ledger; it’s a sales pitch.
All corrections and ledger updates are logged publicly, permanently, on our Corrections & Ledger Updates page.