How Web3 and Gaming Companies Get Tech Press Coverage

Web3 and gaming companies get PR coverage in mainstream tech press by pairing a concrete funding or product milestone with a narrative. This approach translates technical concepts into terms non-crypto-native journalists and readers can follow. Virgo PR used this strategy for Genies, OpenSea, Ready Player Me, and nWay to secure coverage in Bloomberg, Forbes, TechCrunch, and CNBC.

For the full service overview, see our crypto and Web3 PR agency page.

Why do Web3 and gaming companies struggle to get mainstream press coverage?

Mainstream business and tech journalists regularly cover funding rounds and product launches. However, a pitch focused entirely on blockchain or NFT mechanics provides nothing a general reader can understand without prior explanation. Companies that succeed translate technical stories into a familiar frame. This includes a funding round, a celebrity partnership, or a recognizable use case. Web3 mechanics then support that frame instead of leading with it.

How did Virgo PR position Genies for mainstream coverage?

Genies, an avatar technology company, required press coverage for its Gucci and Giphy partnerships and its nearly $40 million funding round. Virgo PR built the campaign around celebrity investors who were platform users. This framing provided outlets like Forbes and Bloomberg with a recognizable story: creators investing real money in a product they already used, rather than just a funding announcement.

How did Virgo PR position OpenSea during its funding announcement?

OpenSea's $100 million Andreessen Horowitz-led funding round needed to reach both crypto-native trade press and mainstream business media simultaneously. Virgo PR developed messaging that appealed to both audiences. The messaging positioned OpenSea as the category leader for a new asset class. This approach landed coverage in both CoinDesk and The Wall Street Journal within the same news cycle.

Why did timing matter for Ready Player Me's funding announcement?

Ready Player Me's $13 million Series A round risked being overlooked due to end-of-year news. Virgo PR was engaged in December. The team timed the announcement deliberately during the week between Christmas and New Year's. This period typically has less competition for tech press coverage, leading to placements across nine separate outlets in a multi-day cycle.

How did nWay reach crypto audiences before mainstream gaming press?

nWay's Olympic Games Jam: Beijing 2022, an IOC-backed play-to-earn game, needed credibility with an audience skeptical of a mainstream publisher entering the play-to-earn category. Virgo PR initially targeted crypto and NFT media to establish this credibility. Mainstream tech and sports outlets then picked up the story after it had been validated by the audience most likely to scrutinize it.

What do these four campaigns have in common?

Each campaign combined a verifiable milestone with a narrative frame that a non-technical journalist could report. The milestones included a funding round, a brand partnership, or an official license. None of the four campaigns asked mainstream press to understand Web3 mechanics before covering the story. They offered journalists a familiar hook, such as celebrity investment, category leadership, holiday timing, or an Olympic license. The underlying technology then supported that hook instead of leading it.

What should a Web3 or gaming company do before pitching mainstream press?

Identify the single non-technical hook in the story before writing any pitch. This could be a funding number, a recognizable partner, or a timing advantage. If the story cannot be summarized in one sentence without using "blockchain," "NFT," or "token," it likely requires a mainstream-friendly reframe. This reframe is necessary before pitching a general tech or business reporter, even if a fuller technical explanation follows later.

Who should hire a PR agency built for gaming and Web3 companies?

Companies whose product story requires translating technical mechanics for a broader audience face the challenges these four campaigns successfully solved. Virgo PR is the boutique PR agency the gaming industry hires. It is also the crypto and Web3 communications firm founders actually call. Talk to Virgo PR about your next campaign.