What does it actually look like to cover Destiny 2 as a professional games journalist?In this in-depth one-on-one conversation, I sit down with Ryan Gilliam, former Destiny beat writer at Polygon and co-founder of the independent publication Rogue.site, to unpack what it means to cover a live service game for over a decade.We dive deep into:- The reality of writing guides for games like Destiny 2, Elden Ring, and Persona- The pressure of SEO and Google optimization in modern games journalism- How Destiny 2 launched as a mainstream phenomenon- The blurred lines between journalism and content creation- What happened when Polygon was sold — and how Rogue was born- The ethics, burnout, and behind-the-scenes logistics of guide writingIf you’ve ever wondered how raid guides get written, how journalists prepare for major expansions like The Final Shape or Shadow of the Erdtree, or what it’s like to make a living covering Destiny — this episode pulls back the curtain.If you enjoy conversations like this, make sure to subscribe and join our growing community.My name is Sax — and until next time… Be Blessed.Check out Rogue Here!: https://www.rogue.site▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬00:00 – Intro & Welcoming Ryan Gilliam03:20 – Early Career & Breaking Into Games Journalism07:45 – Becoming Polygon’s “Destiny Guy”12:15 – Covering Destiny 1 at Launch16:40 – Destiny 2’s Mainstream Explosion21:10 – The Responsibility of Writing Raid & Expansion Guides25:30 – What Guide Writing Actually Looks Like Behind the Scenes30:05 – Learning SEO & Writing for Google34:50 – Persona 5 & Developing Guide Systems39:15 – Handling Massive Launch Windows & Crunch44:30 – Elden Ring & Shadow of the Erdtree Deadline Pressure49:20 – Beating Huge Games on Review Timelines54:10 – The Burnout of Live Service Coverage59:00 – The Emotional Cost of Being “The Destiny Journalist”1:03:45 – Journalism vs. Content Creation (Creators vs. Media)1:08:30 – The Economics of Games Media1:13:20 – The Sale of Polygon & Industry Layoffs1:18:10 – Leaving Polygon & What That Transition Felt Like1:23:00 – Founding Rogue.site1:28:15 – The Risk of Going Independent1:32:40 – Building a Sustainable Media Model1:37:30 – Escape Will Make Me Pod & Marathon Coverage1:42:15 – Longform Podcasting vs Written Journalism1:47:10 – Advice for Aspiring Games Journalists1:51:20 – The Future of Games Media1:55:10 – Destiny’s Evolution & Final Reflections1:59:00 – Closing Thoughts & Sign Off▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬Join my Discord! - https://discord.gg/saxplaysgames Follow my Twitch! - https://twitch.tv/saxplaysgamesFollow my TikTok! - https://tiktok.com/@saxplaysgamesFollow my Twitter! - https://x.com/saxplaysgames