Video Game Website Has Controversial Plan To Only Pay Per Click

Key Points:

• Valnet, a digital media investment company behind sites like TheGamer, has introduced new "Pay Per Session" contracts requiring writers and editors to meet minimum article viewership thresholds to receive payment, potentially resulting in no pay for low-performing content.
• The new contracts pay writers $5 and editors $3 per 1,000 article sessions within the first 15 days, with no base pay guaranteed, prompting accusations of exploitative "soft-layoffs" and causing significant unrest among TheGamer staff.
• Almost all TheGamer staff are classified as freelancers under these contracts, leading to fears of unlivable wages and a revolt by about half the writing team, who are seeking explanations from Valnet management.
• The changes come amid declining traffic to gaming media sites due to Google SEO shifts and the rise of AI search engines, which Valnet staff say have severely impacted article visibility and earnings potential.
• Valnet, co-founded by former porn industry executives, has a history of poor treatment of freelance writers, including allegations of blacklisting and copyright strikes against critics, and has not yet responded to requests for comment on the new contracts.