Identity & Authority: Rock Paper Shotgun – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

Rock Paper Shotgun

(https://rockpapershotgun.com) 📸 Data Snapshot: June 19, 2026
Identity & Authority — The Lens

Inspect the JSON-LD. Is there an Organization or Person schema, and does it carry sameAs links to real external profiles (LinkedIn, socials)? Missing schema or no identity declaration signals an anonymous entity.

Identity & Authority Expert verifiability & Schema depth.
15 Impact Weight: 15 / 100
100% Reputation

There are no authority gaps; the digital footprint of the staff is fully integrated into the site’s structure. Authors like Mark Warren and Edwin Evans-Thirlwell have dedicated Person schema with detailed bios, email addresses, and sameAs links to BlueSky and LinkedIn. The organization itself provides a full masthead and clear ownership disclosure (Gamer Network Limited), satisfying all primary authority requirements.

There is no marketing-to-reality disconnect because the site does not make bold performance claims about its own services. It functions as a news reporter rather than a service provider. Claims made within articles (e.g., about game updates or lawsuits) are backed by external evidence such as Internet Archive links, court documents, and developer changelogs.

Identity & Authority is read from the structured data first: whether the site declares who it is in machine-readable schema, with verifiable identity links. Below is the schema captured per page, then the external proof links that support (or fail to support) that identity.

🔗 Identity & Technical Layer — schema JSON-LD: identity chains, entity gaps
Homepage schema
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
    "actionableFeedbackPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#editorial-content",
    "contactPoint": {
        "@type": "ContactPoint",
        "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/contact-us"
    },
    "correctionsPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#editorial-content",
    "diversityPolicy": "https://www.ziffdavis.com/esg-diversity",
    "diversityStaffingReport": "https://s205.q4cdn.com/689425761/files/doc_downloads/reports/Ziff-Davis-2023-DEI-Report.pdf",
    "ethicsPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy",
    "foundingDate": "2007-07-02",
    "logo": {
        "@type": "ImageObject",
        "height": 448,
        "url": "https://assets.gnwcdn.com/rps.webp",
        "width": 448
    },
    "masthead": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/about-us",
    "name": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
    "ownershipFundingInfo": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#ownership",
    "parentOrganization": {
        "@type": "Corporation",
        "address": [
            {
                "@type": "PostalAddress",
                "addressCountry": "GB",
                "addressLocality": "London",
                "addressRegion": "Greater London",
                "postalCode": "E1 8AA",
                "streetAddress": "18 Mansell Street Level 3"
            }
        ],
        "foundingDate": "1999-11-24",
        "name": "Gamer Network Limited",
        "url": "https://gamer.network"
    },
    "sameAs": [
        "https://bsky.app/profile/rockpapershotgun.bsky.social",
        "https://www.facebook.com/rockpapershot",
        "https://twitter.com/rockpapershot",
        "https://www.instagram.com/rockpapershot",
        "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5bKSAZBvV9AKlBJPG0Py-A",
        "https://www.twitch.tv/rockpapershotgun",
        "https://www.linkedin.com/company/rock-paper-shotgun-ltd",
        "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock,_Paper,_Shotgun",
        "https://soundcloud.com/rockpapershotgun",
        "https://open.spotify.com/show/0nb2UiAyJ6NMseIKjxY8u3",
        "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/electronic-wireless-show/id1210446550",
        "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/rock-paper-shotgun/electronicwireless-show",
        "https://steamcommunity.com/groups/rps",
        "https://www.tiktok.com/@rockpapershotgun",
        "https://discord.com/invite/rockpapershotgun"
    ],
    "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/"
}
/the-outer-worlds-2-studio-obsidian-accused-of-violating-state-wage-and-hour-laws-for-profit-in-california-lawsuit/
[
    {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "NewsArticle",
        "articleSection": "News",
        "author": {
            "@context": "https://schema.org",
            "@type": "Person",
            "description": "Mark (he/him) is a Senior Staff Writer who's seen more mods for games than any person ever realistically should.",
            "email": "mark.warren@rockpapershotgun.com",
            "image": "https://assets.gnwcdn.com/T024V68U9-U060C9DUEVA-a6939267abe2-512.jpg",
            "jobTitle": "Senior Staff Writer",
            "name": "Mark Warren",
            "url": [
                "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/authors/mark-warren",
                "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/feed/author/mark-warren",
                "https://bymarkwarren.wordpress.com/",
                "https://bsky.app/profile/markwarren.bsky.social",
                "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-w-29a29112b/",
                "https://x.com/MrMarkWarren99"
            ],
            "worksFor": {
                "@type": "Organization",
                "name": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
                "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com"
            }
        },
        "datePublished": "2026-06-19T16:02:34.206718+00:00",
        "description": "The Outer Worlds 2 studio Obsidian have been accused of having \"increased their profits by violating state wage and hour laws\" in a California lawsuit.",
        "headline": "The Outer Worlds 2 studio Obsidian accused of \"violating state wage and hour laws\" for profit in California lawsuit",
        "image": [
            "https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/outer-worlds-2-release-date.jpg?width=1200&height=1200&fit=crop&quality=100&format=png&enable=upscale&auto=webp",
            "https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/outer-worlds-2-release-date.jpg?width=1200&height=900&fit=crop&quality=100&format=png&enable=upscale&auto=webp",
            "https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/outer-worlds-2-release-date.jpg?width=1600&height=900&fit=crop&quality=100&format=png&enable=upscale&auto=webp"
        ],
        "inLanguage": "en",
        "keywords": [
            "Action Adventure",
            "First person",
            "Obsidian Entertainment",
            "PC",
            "PS5",
            "RPG",
            "Single Player",
            "The Outer Worlds 2",
            "Third person",
            "Xbox Game Studios",
            "Xbox Series X/S"
        ],
        "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-outer-worlds-2-studio-obsidian-accused-of-violating-state-wage-and-hour-laws-for-profit-in-california-lawsuit",
        "publisher": {
            "@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
            "actionableFeedbackPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#editorial-content",
            "contactPoint": {
                "@type": "ContactPoint",
                "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/contact-us"
            },
            "correctionsPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#editorial-content",
            "diversityPolicy": "https://www.ziffdavis.com/esg-diversity",
            "diversityStaffingReport": "https://s205.q4cdn.com/689425761/files/doc_downloads/reports/Ziff-Davis-2023-DEI-Report.pdf",
            "ethicsPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy",
            "foundingDate": "2007-07-02",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "height": 448,
                "url": "https://assets.gnwcdn.com/rps.webp",
                "width": 448
            },
            "masthead": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/about-us",
            "name": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
            "ownershipFundingInfo": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#ownership",
            "parentOrganization": {
                "@type": "Corporation",
                "address": [
                    {
                        "@type": "PostalAddress",
                        "addressCountry": "GB",
                        "addressLocality": "London",
                        "addressRegion": "Greater London",
                        "postalCode": "E1 8AA",
                        "streetAddress": "18 Mansell Street Level 3"
                    }
                ],
                "foundingDate": "1999-11-24",
                "name": "Gamer Network Limited",
                "url": "https://gamer.network"
            },
            "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/"
        },
        "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-outer-worlds-2-studio-obsidian-accused-of-violating-state-wage-and-hour-laws-for-profit-in-california-lawsuit"
    },
    {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
        "itemListElement": [
            {
                "@type": "ListItem",
                "item": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/",
                "name": "Home",
                "position": 1
            },
            {
                "@type": "ListItem",
                "item": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/news",
                "name": "News",
                "position": 2
            },
            {
                "@type": "ListItem",
                "item": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games/the-outer-worlds-2",
                "name": "The Outer Worlds 2",
                "position": 3
            }
        ]
    }
]
/slay-the-spire-2-gets-a-patch-for-broken-rng-after-player-turns-in-gruelling-eight-hour-video-expose/
[
    {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "NewsArticle",
        "articleSection": "News",
        "author": {
            "@context": "https://schema.org",
            "@type": "Person",
            "description": "Clapped-out Soul Reaver enthusiast with dubious academic backstory who obsesses over dropped diary pages in horror games. Games journalist since 2008. From Yorkshire originally but sounds like he's from Rivendell.",
            "email": "edwin.evansthirlwell@rockpapershotgun.com",
            "image": "https://assets.gnwcdn.com/edwin-portrait.jpg",
            "jobTitle": "News Editor",
            "name": "Edwin Evans-Thirlwell",
            "url": [
                "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/authors/edwin-evans-thirlwell",
                "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/feed/author/edwin-evans-thirlwell",
                "https://bsky.app/profile/edwinet.bsky.social"
            ],
            "worksFor": {
                "@type": "Organization",
                "name": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
                "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com"
            }
        },
        "datePublished": "2026-06-19T15:45:00+00:00",
        "description": "Slay the Spire 2 update adds a new boss, a Bestiary and Steam Workshop support, while fixing the dodgy randomisation of Neow's Bones.",
        "headline": "Slay the Spire 2 gets a patch for broken RNG after player turns in gruelling eight hour video exposé",
        "image": [
            "https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/slay-the-spire-2-early-access.jpg?width=1200&height=1200&fit=crop&quality=100&format=png&enable=upscale&auto=webp",
            "https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/slay-the-spire-2-early-access.jpg?width=1200&height=900&fit=crop&quality=100&format=png&enable=upscale&auto=webp",
            "https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/slay-the-spire-2-early-access.jpg?width=1600&height=900&fit=crop&quality=100&format=png&enable=upscale&auto=webp"
        ],
        "inLanguage": "en",
        "keywords": [
            "Card Games",
            "Indie",
            "Mac",
            "Multiplayer Competitive",
            "Multiplayer Cooperative",
            "PC",
            "Side view",
            "Single Player",
            "Slay the Spire 2",
            "Strategy"
        ],
        "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/slay-the-spire-2-gets-a-patch-for-broken-rng-after-player-turns-in-gruelling-eight-hour-video-expose",
        "publisher": {
            "@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
            "actionableFeedbackPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#editorial-content",
            "contactPoint": {
                "@type": "ContactPoint",
                "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/contact-us"
            },
            "correctionsPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#editorial-content",
            "diversityPolicy": "https://www.ziffdavis.com/esg-diversity",
            "diversityStaffingReport": "https://s205.q4cdn.com/689425761/files/doc_downloads/reports/Ziff-Davis-2023-DEI-Report.pdf",
            "ethicsPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy",
            "foundingDate": "2007-07-02",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "height": 448,
                "url": "https://assets.gnwcdn.com/rps.webp",
                "width": 448
            },
            "masthead": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/about-us",
            "name": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
            "ownershipFundingInfo": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#ownership",
            "parentOrganization": {
                "@type": "Corporation",
                "address": [
                    {
                        "@type": "PostalAddress",
                        "addressCountry": "GB",
                        "addressLocality": "London",
                        "addressRegion": "Greater London",
                        "postalCode": "E1 8AA",
                        "streetAddress": "18 Mansell Street Level 3"
                    }
                ],
                "foundingDate": "1999-11-24",
                "name": "Gamer Network Limited",
                "url": "https://gamer.network"
            },
            "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/"
        },
        "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/slay-the-spire-2-gets-a-patch-for-broken-rng-after-player-turns-in-gruelling-eight-hour-video-expose"
    },
    {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
        "itemListElement": [
            {
                "@type": "ListItem",
                "item": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/",
                "name": "Home",
                "position": 1
            },
            {
                "@type": "ListItem",
                "item": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/news",
                "name": "News",
                "position": 2
            },
            {
                "@type": "ListItem",
                "item": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games/slay-the-spire-2",
                "name": "Slay the Spire 2",
                "position": 3
            }
        ]
    }
]
/baldurs-gate-3-path-to-menzoberranzan-custom-campaign-modders-glimpse-demo-level/
[
    {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "NewsArticle",
        "articleSection": "News",
        "author": {
            "@context": "https://schema.org",
            "@type": "Person",
            "description": "Mark (he/him) is a Senior Staff Writer who's seen more mods for games than any person ever realistically should.",
            "email": "mark.warren@rockpapershotgun.com",
            "image": "https://assets.gnwcdn.com/T024V68U9-U060C9DUEVA-a6939267abe2-512.jpg",
            "jobTitle": "Senior Staff Writer",
            "name": "Mark Warren",
            "url": [
                "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/authors/mark-warren",
                "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/feed/author/mark-warren",
                "https://bymarkwarren.wordpress.com/",
                "https://bsky.app/profile/markwarren.bsky.social",
                "https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-w-29a29112b/",
                "https://x.com/MrMarkWarren99"
            ],
            "worksFor": {
                "@type": "Organization",
                "name": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
                "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com"
            }
        },
        "datePublished": "2026-06-19T10:21:33.578430+00:00",
        "description": "Baldur's Gate 3 custom campaign mod Path to Menzoberranzan's devs show off a teaser for their long-awaited demo level as its environments near completion.",
        "headline": "Baldur's Gate 3 Path to Menzoberranzan custom campaign modders offer glimpse of their long-awaited demo level's \"dark, ruined dungeon\" as environments near completion",
        "image": [
            "https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/baldurs-gate-3-mod-path-to-menzobarranzan-first-build-done-01.jpg?width=1200&height=1200&fit=crop&quality=100&format=png&enable=upscale&auto=webp",
            "https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/baldurs-gate-3-mod-path-to-menzobarranzan-first-build-done-01.jpg?width=1200&height=900&fit=crop&quality=100&format=png&enable=upscale&auto=webp",
            "https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/baldurs-gate-3-mod-path-to-menzobarranzan-first-build-done-01.jpg?width=1600&height=900&fit=crop&quality=100&format=png&enable=upscale&auto=webp"
        ],
        "inLanguage": "en",
        "keywords": [
            "Action Adventure",
            "Baldur's Gate III",
            "Bird view / Isometric",
            "Fantasy",
            "Full product",
            "Larian Studios",
            "Mac",
            "Mods",
            "Multiplayer Competitive",
            "Multiplayer Cooperative",
            "PC",
            "PS5",
            "RPG",
            "Romance",
            "Single Player",
            "Stadia",
            "Story Rich",
            "Strategy",
            "Strategy: Turn-Based Strategy",
            "Xbox Series X/S"
        ],
        "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/baldurs-gate-3-path-to-menzoberranzan-custom-campaign-modders-glimpse-demo-level",
        "publisher": {
            "@type": "NewsMediaOrganization",
            "actionableFeedbackPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#editorial-content",
            "contactPoint": {
                "@type": "ContactPoint",
                "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/contact-us"
            },
            "correctionsPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#editorial-content",
            "diversityPolicy": "https://www.ziffdavis.com/esg-diversity",
            "diversityStaffingReport": "https://s205.q4cdn.com/689425761/files/doc_downloads/reports/Ziff-Davis-2023-DEI-Report.pdf",
            "ethicsPolicy": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy",
            "foundingDate": "2007-07-02",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "height": 448,
                "url": "https://assets.gnwcdn.com/rps.webp",
                "width": 448
            },
            "masthead": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/about-us",
            "name": "Rock Paper Shotgun",
            "ownershipFundingInfo": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/editorial-policy#ownership",
            "parentOrganization": {
                "@type": "Corporation",
                "address": [
                    {
                        "@type": "PostalAddress",
                        "addressCountry": "GB",
                        "addressLocality": "London",
                        "addressRegion": "Greater London",
                        "postalCode": "E1 8AA",
                        "streetAddress": "18 Mansell Street Level 3"
                    }
                ],
                "foundingDate": "1999-11-24",
                "name": "Gamer Network Limited",
                "url": "https://gamer.network"
            },
            "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/"
        },
        "url": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/baldurs-gate-3-path-to-menzoberranzan-custom-campaign-modders-glimpse-demo-level"
    },
    {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
        "itemListElement": [
            {
                "@type": "ListItem",
                "item": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/",
                "name": "Home",
                "position": 1
            },
            {
                "@type": "ListItem",
                "item": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/news",
                "name": "News",
                "position": 2
            },
            {
                "@type": "ListItem",
                "item": "https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/games/baldurs-gate-iii",
                "name": "Baldur's Gate III",
                "position": 3
            }
        ]
    }
]
🛡️ Trust Signals — external proof links that back the declared identity
114Review mentions (all pages)
4External proof links (all pages)
PageReviewsProof links
/ (home) 48 1
/the-outer-worlds-2-studio-obsidian-accused-of-violating-state-wage-and-hour-laws-for-profit-in-california-lawsuit/ 22 1
/slay-the-spire-2-gets-a-patch-for-broken-rng-after-player-turns-in-gruelling-eight-hour-video-expose/ 20 1
/baldurs-gate-3-path-to-menzoberranzan-custom-campaign-modders-glimpse-demo-level/ 24 1