shouldiuse.io

Report

Should I Use IGN?

ign.com·Analyzed 14 hours ago··Based on 10 sources

IGN is your #1 destination for all video game news, expert reviews, and walkthroughs.

Depends

Depends

IGN is a free gaming media site, not software — read it freely if you want reviews, news, and walkthroughs.

Free gaming news and reviews site, not software. Read free; only pay for IGN Plus if you want its maps and perks.

Confidence: Medium

Yes

Free to read

News, reviews, wikis

Paid subscription

IGN Plus

Billed monthly per IGN

1996

Founded

Owned by Ziff Davis

~$95M

Est. annual revenue

Owler estimate

Value for money3

Core site free; IGN Plus value disputed by users

Feature depth4

Reviews, wikis, walkthroughs, subscriber maps

Pros

  • Deep library of expert game reviews across decades¹
  • News, reviews, and walkthroughs free to read²
  • Community wikis for popular games like FNAF: Security Breach
  • Backed by Ziff Davis, owner of Humble Bundle⁹

Cons

  • Review scores routinely accused of bias and rage-bait⁴
  • Some users say IGN Plus is not worth paying for⁵
  • IGN Plus forced into Humble Choice annoyed subscribers⁶

Gotchas

  • mediumIGN Plus bills monthly on auto-renew; exact price not shown in reviewed sources³
  • mediumHumble Choice bundles IGN Plus by default, which some subscribers saw as a forced price hike⁶
  • lowReviews contain affiliate links ('If you buy through our l...')
  • lowNo published security page; no known vulnerabilities either10

Best for

  • Gamers wanting free expert reviews
  • Players stuck needing a walkthrough
  • Casual gaming news readers

Not for

  • Anyone shopping for team or business software — it is media
  • Readers who already distrust big-outlet review scores
  • Shoppers avoiding affiliate-linked review content

Pricing

IGN.com

$0

  • Game news and expert reviews
  • Walkthroughs and community wikis

IGN Plus

Monthly charge (price not listed in reviewed sources)

  • Interactive game maps, e.g. Schedule 1
  • Subscriber perks

Security

No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Opinions are split: many readers rely on IGN's reviews and wikis, while a vocal crowd blasts its scores and the IGN Plus subscription's value.

“The hate towards IGN is so blown out of proportions.”
— Reddit, r/saltierthankrayt
“IGN really likes to rage bait to stay relevant 💀”
— Facebook group post
“DO NOT FALL FOR IGN PLUS”
— Reddit, r/humblebundles

Alternatives

Compare IGN with each alternative.

Independent YouTube reviewers

Free video reviews from critics outside big media.

Full analysis

Based on ~25 public sources. IGN is consumer media, not B2B software, so fit is judged as a reader/purchaser decision; IGN Plus pricing specifics were sparse in sources.

Sources

  1. IGN Video Game Reviewsign.com
    official
  2. IGN homepageign.com
    official
  3. IGN Plus subscription pageign.com
    official
  4. The IGN hate is getting old — Reddit r/gamingreddit.com
    review
  5. DO NOT FALL FOR IGN PLUS — Reddit r/humblebundlesreddit.com
    review
  6. Humble Choice forced IGN Plus inclusion — ResetEraresetera.com
    news
  7. Trustpilot reviews of www.ign.comtrustpilot.com
    review
  8. IGN revenue and company profile — Owlerowler.com
    news
  9. Ziff Davis: Gaming & Entertainment (Humble Bundle, IGN)ziffdavis.com
    official
  10. IGN security page statusign.com
    security

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