Recently, we have been working more and more on our r/SteamDeckHQ subreddit, aiming to cultivate it into a place where quality content is front and center and questions regarding the Steam Deck and gaming on it can be answered. So far, we have been very successful in creating a base, and it seems the community likes where we are headed, but we have large plans, and one of those is being announced today: The Verified Creator Program.

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Before getting into that, let me just give a brief reason why we even started this sub when r/SteamDeck exists. Recently, we have found some issues with the place and how it is being run. We have seen great posts being taken down from others, including our posts, and removed with seemingly no explanation. At first, we thought it could have been due to self-promotion, which is completely understood, but an image post we made with no self-promotion was removed almost instantly, too. We have seen many users dismayed by the state of the place, which is now filled with random pictures of people posting their Steam Deck without offering much useful information. This is fine, but it isn't the Subreddit that we, and these users, imagined.

So, we set off to create r/SteamDeckHQ, which is aimed at being a place for knowledge, teaching, and quality content. We also open up to criticism instead of shooting it down, even creating a specific "Critique" post flair that we monitor. We want completely open communication because, in the end, the subreddit is for the community, and we would be doing a disservice to shut you out from having a say about this sub.

Now, we have the Verified Creator program, a way for creators who make quality content to be a part of the community and promote their work without it being spammed constantly or immediately removed based on an arbitrary rule. With this program, we go through different creators and check their current and past content to see if they are promoting useful and quality information, whether it be about how games run or news regarding the Steam Deck and Linux. High-quality creators are part of the community overall and help foster it, so we want to welcome them in with open arms.

So, what is the benefit, you ask? Well, being creator-friendly, we are giving them a home that is welcoming to their work. This ultimately means that they will post their content there and be more active. We have already confirmed with some of the creators that they plan to only use r/SteamDeckHQ and will be interacting directly with the community! We also have a great relationship with each of these awesome people, which leaves events like AMAs and collaborations open across the board.

These creators are not without rules, but they will have some relaxed rules that scale with the subreddit's activity to ensure their work isn't all we see. Currently, creators can post one piece of content every other day, which can scale up and down depending on the activity in the sub. Each account also has a personal flair next to the name we assign. If you see an account with the Retro Game Corp flair next to it on a post or comment, it is 100% Russ from Retro Game Corps, and we have verified it.

So, who can you expect to see in the program initially? Well, we have:

We will be looking out for more creators to add to the list, and they can range from YouTube to press and more! If you are a creator and would like to join our program, you can leave a comment on this article with a link to your YouTube or website, DM us on X/Twitter, or leave a comment underneath the Reddit post we are making with this. We will follow up with you directly, ask some questions, and check out your work. If we approve, we will let you know and bring you in!

We would love to know what you think of the Verified Creator program and the changes we are making, so please reach out and let us know if you like it, dislike it, or have a creator you would like to see join in!

Thank you all again for your support, and come join the subreddit!

If you enjoyed this article, check out the rest of the content on SteamDeckHQ! We have a wide variety of game reviews and news that will help your gaming experience. Whether you're looking for news, tips and tutorials, game settings and reviews, or just want to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, we've got your back!

Noah Kupetsky
A lover of gaming since 4, Noah has grown up with a love and passion for the industry. From there, he started to travel a lot and develop a joy for handheld and PC gaming. When the Steam Deck released, it just all clicked.
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