A host of former Polygon staffers have established a new independent video game outlet called Rogue. The seven founding members have reunited after new Polygon owner Valnet made a number of layoffs when acquiring the website from Vox Media in May.
They explained Rogue will strive to help readers find games that resonate with them on a personal level and spotlight both triple-A and indie titles. It will also work to “humanize developers and their process while holding studios accountable for their actions [and] create content that is made by humans, for humans, without catering to algorithms.”
The editorial team comprises Alice Jovanée (owner and founder), Cass Marshall (owner and founder), Jeffrey Parkin (owner and founder), Ryan Gilliam (owner and founder), Clayton Ashley (contributor and founder), Pat Gill (contributor and founder), and Toussaint Egan (contributor and founder).
“2025 has been rough for everyone. Games and games journalism are no exception. We believe that we can help by showcasing some of the coolest stuff we find, helping general readers understand what development looks like, and drawing attention to the challenges your studios overcome to build your favorite games,” wrote the co-founders in a mission statement.
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“We’ve all worked for companies that demand big traffic numbers to benefit people at the top. This often demands writers cater to Google above all else. It’s why AI has started to permeate your favorite websites, and why headlines feel like ‘clickbait.’ In a ‘growth forever’ economy, it’s the only way for these websites to keep going, and unfortunately that often isn’t enough.”
“This cycle is only going to get worse in the future. We aim to fight against that, as so many incredible independent sites before us have. We will write about what we want to write about, and what we think our audience will enjoy. We don’t need an algorithm to tell us what the people want when you can just tell us yourselves.”
“Nobody can shut us down or sell us.”
Rogue was established in partnership with independent tabletop gaming site, Rascal, but is completely worker-owned.
In an extensive FAQ, the Rogue team explained the four owners are full-time staffers who will field news, write reviews, conduct interviews, and pen guides. Rogue’s contributors will spend the bulk of their time hosting the Patlabor watch-through podcast but could also make editorial contributions.
“We, the staff, own Rogue. There is no company above us. We have no ‘boss.’ Nobody can shut us down or sell us. Even Rascal, a site we love, is not above us or below us. We’re sister sites in the fight to make gaming (of all kinds) accessible to everyone,” continues the explainer.
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“You can always be assured that the writing that appears on our website is for you. If we want to write about Grand Theft Auto 6, it’ll be because we want to, not because someone else noticed how well it’s trending. If we want to cover a rad indie game instead of a triple-A release, nobody can stop us.”
As an independent outlet, Rogue will shun advertising and sponsored articles to avoid “ethical concerns.” Instead, it will adopt a reader-supported model built around a range of subscription options. Some content, however, such as news and most guides will be free-to-access.
“Every post can be accessed with our lowest subscription tier, for just $7 a month. We have two other tiers which offer subscriber bonuses (like video versions of both of our podcasts!). But these are merely additional ways to support us and what we do,” adds the FAQ.
“None of us entered games journalism to get rich, and we certainly have no intention of getting rich from Rogue. All we want is to keep doing this for as long as possible. To do that right, we need to treat Rogue as a full-time commitment, which is why we’re asking for your support.”
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