Veteran gaming journalist Julian Benson has been named editorial director of the gaming website. Stone paper shotgunbelonging GamesIndustry.biz parent company IGN Entertainment.
Benson, who has 13 years' experience in UK gaming media, previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the TechRadar Gaming brand at Future, followed by senior roles at GAMINGBible, PCGamesN and Kotaku UK. More recently he has worked as a freelance writer, editor and game design consultant, appearing regularly in publications such as The Guardian, GQ, eurogamer and Edge.
Rock Paper Shotgun was the first major editorial website dedicated exclusively to PC games, launching in 2007 when no major publisher had a site dedicated to the platform. He quickly developed a loyal following and remains a key voice in curating and commentating on the PC gaming space. The site became part of IGN Entertainment in 2023.
“It’s hard to express how excited I am to join the Rock Paper Shotgun team,” said Benson. “This publication has had the biggest impact on the way I think and write about video games, and it was one of the first places I ever published. Its experienced team has a long history of celebrating the weird and wonderful in gaming with its readers, and I'm honored to play a role in continuing that tradition.”
Benson's appointment is the latest in a series of changes at IGN Entertainment aimed at improving its editorial brand and building its leadership team after promotion of Justin Davis to Vice President, Editorial and Commercial AffairsIGN Entertainment and appointment of John Hicks as editorial director of the magazine GamesIndustry.biz. Benson, like Hicks, will report to Senior Global Editorial Director Alex Simmons, who continues to lead and support the former Gamer Network brands within the global IGNE organization.
“I am pleased to appoint an editorial leader with Julian’s extensive experience to lead such a key editorial brand,” said Yael Prof, President of IGN Entertainment. “Rock Paper Shotgun maintains a uniquely powerful voice in gaming and is rightfully valued by readers and game developers around the world. Our continued investment in top talent is a key element of our established process to support and expand the iconic brands across the IGN Entertainment portfolio, leveraging the industry-leading experience and influence of the IGNE team.”
Benson steps right into the role.
