There was a time when gaming was just designated as ‘child’s play.’ Back then, nobody took anyone seriously who said that they could see the gaming industry becoming a billion dollar industry. It was impossible, not without the seriousness of gaming becoming something more than just a tool to pass the time by.
The development of better consoles, the demand for better entertainment, and the Internet becoming a better tool for connection have all helped the video game industry. Today, it is a $100 billion industry because of the new capabilities and better services that it can give to people. Gamers can now connect with each other in real time, compared to before, when they had to be together physically to play.
The rise of eSports has also helped the gaming industry reach the heights of where it is today. Many companies have turned to affiliation programs to generate revenues – it is when companies compensate players, influencers, and personalities for directing traffic to their website. Some online sellers use any of the following models to share revenue – cost-per-action (CPA), cost per sale (CPS), or cost per lead/pay per lead (CPL, PPL).
The growing interest in gaming, coupled with the growth of players whom people are following, gives the public greater incentive for following them. Gaming affiliation programs have grown in popularity because of this. There are many affiliate programs existing today, and here are some of the best that’s out there.
The Top Gaming Affiliate Programs
- CDKeys
- Epic Games
- Fanatical
- G2A
- GameFly
- Leprestore
- Razer
- Alienware
- Zygor
- Nvidia
- GameStop
- GamersGate
- GamesDeal
- Green Man Gaming
- SCDKey
- Final Mouse
- Modded Zone Gaming
- Bose
- Into the AM
- Microsoft Gaming
CD Keys – 5% commission
CDKeys gives affiliates 5% of the commission for each successful sale. All that they have to do is to join the program, where the company will provide all the tools needed to get started. An affiliate dashboard will be provided with the affiliate link unique to the affiliate. Each click will earn 5% of the total purchase made by the visitor.
Epic Games – 5% commission
Epic Games also offers a 5% affiliate rate for their affiliates. They are the creators of games such as Gears of War, Unreal, Shadow Complex, and Fortnite. They’ve broken it down into three simple steps – users have to have an Epic account first, then they should inform the developer about their channels. Once the terms are accepted, Epic provides the affiliates with Links and Tags. Each purchase by a ‘supporter’ will earn the affiliate money.
Fanatical – 5% commission
The digital game store Fanatical also offers a free-to-join affiliate program. Users can earn up to 5% commission per sale, paid through either the affiliate network CJ or PayPal. Affiliates are given tracking link access and banners through two different dashboards – the CJ dashboard is for website owners or bloggers, while the partner dashboard is for YouTube or Twitch streamers. Each package provides access to upcoming deals on the store.
G2A – 3% commission
G2A offers a 3% rate for their gaming affiliates, and different packages for each type of affiliate. At first glance, users will see that there are options for website publishers and ‘G2A Goldmine’ affiliates. G2A invites content creators and influencers – gaming streamers and YouTube sensations alike – to participate in their affiliate program.
GameFly – 10% commission
The US-based online video game rental service is inviting gaming affiliates for partnerships that reward 10% commissions to sales made. Major consoles, PC, and Mac games can be bought from its store. The affiliate network, meanwhile, is also handled by the CJ (Commission Junction) network. Affiliates will have access to materials like banners and text links to market and convert visitors into good sales.
Leprestore – 10% commission
Leprestore’s service caters to players who want boosts for their characters. Its clients mostly play MMORPGs like WoW Classic and other games such as Apex Legends and Destiny 2.
The boosting service it gives to players works in a way where the company gets paid to ‘boost’ characters, bypassing the lengthy time needed to level up a character to a certain level. In a way, they give ‘free’ XP or idle XP, even while the person is sleeping. Leprestore is just one of many companies that give this legitimate service.
Their affiliate program currently gives affiliates 10% of the sales done.
Razer – 1 – 20% commission
No decent player will go by without knowing the Razer company. It is known for its PCs, gaming laptops, and gaming peripherals that allow gamers to perform at the top of their abilities. It has even started to manufacture an energy drink for gamers named ‘Respawn.’
The company’s products are not cheap – they also usually rate among the top five in a gamer’s wish list. Most famous player-streamers, eSports competitors, and gamers-turned-streamers are endorsed by this company, so affiliates know that partnering with them can be a highly lucrative business decision.
The company offers a commission rate that is in the 1 to 20% range. 20% is already big, but even at the low 10%, you’ll make a profit just by how popular the brand is.
Alienware – 6% commission
The other brand’s most hard-core and casual gamers’ top 5. Alienware’s gaming PCs are made of dreams and awesomeness, and it is also one of the first companies who took gaming with a certain level of seriousness that the rest are only doing now.
It is under Dell, so instead of being under the Alienware brand, affiliates will be signing up for the Dell affiliate program, which is a win-win. Dell laptops are also popular with people.
The affiliate program rate is at 6%; considering how expensive their products are, though, a 6% rate is already gold for most affiliates.
Zygor – 50% commission
Where there are those who will boost your character so you can get to certain levels without much work, there are those who offer guides to help you get to where you need to be. Zygor Guides is one such company, offering guides for WoW Classic and World of Warcraft.
The in-game guides allows players to level up quickly without that much work, and still enjoy the story of the game. There are simple add-ons, such as arrow that point you to your next destination or give players an idea of who to talk to next, where to go, and what quests to compete.
The company offers a hefty 50% commission rate to its affiliates. That’s a big commission, but the potential for recurring commissions is there too – the company charges monthly for subscriptions, so each commission is treated new each month.
Nvidia – 2% commission
Nvidia is best known for their GPUs (Graphics Processing Unit) and their partnerships with different games, developing graphical improvements and working with them to refine imagery. They got their start in 1993, and to this day, remains the top choice for gamers who know their expertise.
The company’s affiliate program isn’t as impressive as the quality of the GPUs they produce – 2% commission per sale is low, really low. Considering that they do have some pretty expensive products as well, and the number of rigs and systems that use their GPUs, that 2% suddenly looks fair enough.
GameStop – 4% commission
GameStop has grown to become one of the largest video game retailers today. With an ever-growing selection of new games – and a novel stock of pre-owned games as well – there is profit to be made, whether there’s a newly-released console or one that’s still useful to gamers who have yet to play its games.
A 4% commission is normal for this list, but with the number of possible rentals and purchases from the shop, it’s decent enough.
GamersGate – 5% commission
This company sells PC and Mac games, just like Steam. The online store is a mixed bag of AAA titles and indie games that’s sold at really affordable prices. Given the sheer number of games available here, and the possible number of visitors dropping by, a 5% commission seems just about right for affiliates.
At first glance, it appears that percentage off sales and games on sale aren’t the only gaming experience they offer. There’s a lot more to this online shop, so becoming an affiliate may be a wise choice.
GamesDeal – 30% commission
GamesDeal offers the same type of games and merchandise as Steam and any other gaming shops offering an aggregated collection of virtual game copies for sale. It also offers gaming cards, for those who want to maintain their subscriptions to the Xbox Live or PlayStation Networks, and for any other purposes.
On their affiliate program ad, they say they offer a high commission for affiliates. 30% is definitely not bad, considering the sheer number of games available on their website.
Green Man Gaming – 5% commission
This company mantains a multiplatform online video game store. They have the latest titles available, as well as the best indie games out there. They don’t just sell games, though – they also maintain a blog and a newsroom for gaming-related information.
Their affiliate program offers a 5% commission for each member. They are a global company, and their games reach a wide array of audiences everywhere, so the commission rate seems like a fair trade at first glance.
SCDKey – upwards of 20% commission
This online game store sells a diverse range of products. They have games from different gaming stores like Steam and Origin, as well as cards and credits for games sold on Steam, subscriptions to PlayStation and Xbox, and other gaming products.
Signing up for their affiliate program feels like a wise choice. They offer 8% to 20% commission on sales, as well as rewards – there is a ‘Welfare Day’ advertised on their gaming affiliation information page that awards as much as $100. Speaking of Awards, they give away $500 in bonus cash.
Final Mouse – 25% commission
It’s a niche company, one that deals on a single product – gaming mice. But the catch is this: each gaming mouse is a limited edition product, where once it’s bought, there’s nothing like it any more. Gamers are known to be very specific about their gaming peripherals, so these mice might look the same, but only its buyers will know how different it is from the other.
The affiliate program is found in the Refersion Marketplace, where each product sold yields a 25% commission. That’s a solid rate, and with unique products like this, each sale might yield solid prices too.
Modded Zone Gaming – 5% commission
This company also sells in a certain niche. The products are quite unique – it sells modded controllers. Sometimes it gives old controllers a refreshing paint job, at other times, buyers can get controllers that are painted according to their style and built according to their specification. If you want to get a ‘fast reload’ button or a ‘fire-free’ setting, they’re the guys to talk to.
They give affiliates the standard 5% commission, but they offer rates that are hard to beat. Expect more conversions from clicks to purchases, and the commission will keep rolling in.
Bose – 2% to 3% commission
To be fair, there are a lot of companies that produce great quality speakers for money. Bose is one of the best out there, because they don’t just have quality speakers. They also feature a great affiliate program.
While the rate is low at 2% to 3%, the thing is that they have a wide selection of products that not only gamers are looking for – even people who live with gamers will appreciate their noise-canceling tech, so they can listen to music in peace even with the thundering sounds of gunfire in the background.
Their products also fetch a high price, and at the number it’s selling, any affiliate stands to make a definite profit.
Into the AM – 10% commission
It’s a novelty to see a clothing company included within these gaming peripherals and digital game stores, but the company does sell gamer gear, and a lot of it. T-shirts and tops themed with designs from games like God of War, Assassin’s Creed, and World of Warcraft can be found here.
They do offer a big commission for every sale. At 10%, that’s a nice rate, but the store is best bundled along with other affiliate programs and not intended to be a standalone affiliate that’s going to be your go-to program.
Microsoft Gaming – 2% commission
Microsoft today is a big help to gamers, simply because they made games accessible to those who had PCs at home. They made the technical nature of games simple to understand and execute by everyone, and can be credited with being the reason behind every home having a PC.
Their 2% commission rate is among the lowest in the list. However, consider that the products they sell aren’t that hard to market. Everyone won’t buy an Xbox along with consoles and accessories, but nearly everyone will find the appeal of a Surface PC, or the latest version of the Windows OS, hard to resist.
These commission rates may look low at a certain glance, but affiliates won’t usually go for just one affiliate programs among many. The trick is to mix and match programs to create the best possible package out of it. Affiliate programs are meant as cooperation between the company who makes the products and the user who buys them – it’s meant to be a give-and-take relationship.
