The terms "press kit" and "press release" get used interchangeably by indie developers all the time. They're not the same thing. They serve different purposes, get distributed differently, and confusing them can cost you coverage. If you're working on getting press coverage for your indie game, understanding the difference is one of the first things worth getting right.
TL;DR: A press kit is your permanent asset library (screenshots, trailers, descriptions). A press release is a one-time announcement document for specific news. You need both at different times. The press release gets attention; the press kit provides everything journalists need to write the story.
Key Takeaways
- Press kits stay up indefinitely and get updated over time. Press releases go out once for specific news.
- Every press release should link prominently to your press kit. Three times minimum.
- Press releases have a standard format: headline, dateline, lead paragraph, body, boilerplate, contact info.
- Only write press releases when you have real news (announcement, release date, launch, major update).
- Many smaller outlets will run your press release almost verbatim. Make it copy-paste friendly.
A press kit is a permanent resource. A press release is a time-bound announcement. One sits on your website for months. The other gets emailed on a specific day for a specific reason. You'll probably need both at some point, but not always at the same time, and not always in the same way.
Let's break this down.
What a Press Kit Actually Is
A press kit (sometimes called a press page or media kit) is a single location where journalists and content creators can find everything they need to cover your game. Screenshots, key art, logos, trailers, game description, studio info, fact sheet, and contact details. All in one place, all downloadable.
The operative word is "everything." A good press kit answers every question a journalist might have without requiring them to email you. Kirk McKeand, who covered indie games at VG247 and TheGamer, has noted that when a press kit is missing basic assets (high-res screenshots, logo with transparency), he sometimes just skips the game. Not out of spite. Out of deadlines. If covering your game requires extra work, and covering the next game in his inbox doesn't, the next game wins. Developers who track their press coverage often discover that outlets which wrote about them had visited the press kit multiple times before publishing—the kit did the selling while the developer was focused elsewhere.
Press kits are persistent. They go up when you announce your game and stay up through launch, post-launch updates, and beyond. You update them as new assets become available: new screenshots for each milestone, updated trailers, revised descriptions, new accolades.
Tools like presskit.gg let you set up a professional press page in minutes through a WordPress plugin. Rami Ismail's original presskit() tool (now deprecated) served the same purpose and became the industry standard format that journalists learned to expect. The point isn't which tool you use. The point is that the result looks professional, loads fast, and makes assets easy to grab.
A bare-minimum press kit contains:
- Game title and one-paragraph description
- Genre, platforms, release date (or window), and price
- 8 to 12 high-resolution screenshots (PNG, minimum 1920x1080)
- Key art and logo (with and without background)
- At least one trailer (embedded and downloadable)
- Studio name, location, and team size
- Contact email
A strong press kit adds:
- A "hook" or elevator pitch at the very top
- Press quotes or accolades (if you have them)
- GIF captures of gameplay
- B-roll footage for video creators
- Downloadable ZIP of all assets
- A fact sheet (one-page PDF with key details)
What a Press Release Is
A press release is a formal written announcement about a specific event: your game's announcement, a release date reveal, a launch, a major update, a port to new platforms, or a milestone. It's a document with a specific format, written to be picked up and republished (partially or in full) by media outlets.
Press releases have a standard anatomy that hasn't changed much in decades:
Headline. Clear, factual, frontloaded with the news. "Oathbreakers, a Tactical RPG with Procedural Betrayal, Launches April 10 on Steam and Switch." Not creative. Not clever. Informative.
Subheadline (optional). One sentence expanding on the headline. "From the creators of Hollow Circuit comes a party-based RPG where trust is your most dangerous resource."
Dateline. City, date. "MONTREAL, February 2, 2026."
Lead paragraph. The most important information in 2-3 sentences. Who made it, what is it, when does it come out, on what platforms, and at what price. A journalist should be able to write a news blurb from this paragraph alone.
Body paragraphs. Features, quotes from the developer, context about the studio, details about the announcement. Keep it to 300-500 words total. Shorter is almost always better.
Boilerplate. A standardized "About [Studio Name]" paragraph that describes your studio in 2-3 sentences. This stays the same across all your press releases.
Contact information. Name, email, and optionally a phone number for the PR contact.
Links. Press kit URL, trailer, Steam page, social media.
Here's an important distinction: a press release is meant to be largely copy-pasteable. Many smaller outlets will run your press release almost verbatim with minor edits. This is by design. You're making their job easy. In practice, developers who write clean, factual press releases with good quotes find their exact words appearing in coverage far more often than those who write marketing-speak that outlets have to rewrite.
When You Need Both, When You Need One
Announcement (first reveal): Press kit (yes) + Press release (yes). You're introducing your game to the world. The press release announces it, the press kit provides the assets. Your pitch email links to both.
Steam Next Fest demo launch: Press kit (updated) + Press release (optional). If your game is already announced, a short press release about the demo can help. But many developers skip the formal release and just send a pitch email with updated links.
Release date announcement: Press kit (updated with date) + Press release (yes). This is real news. A press release gives outlets something to publish.
Launch day: Press kit (final update) + Press release (yes). The most important press release you'll write. Include launch trailer, final screenshots, pricing, and any early review quotes.
Major update or DLC: Press kit (add new section) + Press release (yes). Treat significant updates like mini-launches. New assets, new trailer, new press release.
Early development, no release date: Press kit (minimal) + Press release (no). You can have a basic press page live with early screenshots and a description. But there's no news to announce, so no press release. Wait until you have something concrete.
The common mistake is writing a press release when all you have is a press kit update. "Studio X Updates Press Kit with New Screenshots" is not news. Nobody writes a headline about inventory management. "Studio X Reveals Release Date for Award-Winning RPG" is news. Save press releases for actual announcements.
How Press Kits Support Press Releases
Think of it this way: the press release tells journalists what happened. The press kit gives them everything they need to write about it.
When a journalist reads your press release about your launch date reveal, they'll click through to your press kit to grab screenshots for their article, download your logo for the header image, and pull specific details from your fact sheet. If your press kit is missing assets, incomplete, or hard to find, the coverage quality drops or the journalist moves on entirely.
Every press release should link to your press kit prominently. Top of the email, in the body, and at the bottom. Three opportunities to click.
Simon Carless at GameDiscoverCo has repeatedly emphasized that the games industry still relies heavily on press kits as a primary source for article assets. Even in 2026, with social media and Discord communities and TikTok, the traditional press kit remains the single best way to get high-quality assets into a journalist's hands.
A Press Release Template You Can Adapt
Here's a full press release template for a launch announcement. Modify it for your game, obviously. Don't send this verbatim or journalists will notice.
[GAME TITLE] Launches [DATE] on [PLATFORMS]
[One-sentence hook about what makes the game unique]
[CITY], [DATE] - [Studio Name], the [team size]-person indie studio behind [previous game if applicable], today announced that [Game Title] is available now on [platforms] for [$price].
[Game Title] is a [genre] where [one-sentence description of core hook]. [One sentence about a standout feature]. [One sentence about the game's scope or content: "featuring X hours of gameplay" or "with over Y levels/characters/etc."]
"[Quote from studio lead about what makes this game special or what inspired it]," said [Name], [Title] at [Studio Name]. "[Second sentence of quote about what players can expect]."
Key features include:
- [Feature 1: specific and interesting]
- [Feature 2: specific and interesting]
- [Feature 3: specific and interesting]
- [Feature 4: specific and interesting]
[One paragraph with additional context: accolades, festival selections, Steam Next Fest performance, Early Access reviews, or anything that builds credibility.]
Press kit and assets: [URL] Launch trailer: [URL] Steam page: [URL]
About [Studio Name] [Studio Name] is a [size] independent game studio based in [location]. Founded in [year], the studio is known for [brief description]. [Previous game] was [notable achievement]. For more information, visit [website].
Press Contact [Name] [Email]
A few notes on this template. The quote from the studio lead is standard practice. It gives the journalist a pullquote they can use directly. Make it sound like a real person talking, not a corporate statement. "We wanted to make the RPG we wished existed when we were kids" works. "We are excited to bring this groundbreaking experience to players worldwide" does not.
Feature bullet points should be specific. "Deep crafting system" means nothing. "200 craftable items using a chemistry-based recipe system" means something.
Distribution Channels
Where you send your press release matters as much as what's in it.
Direct email to your press list. This is primary. Your carefully researched list of journalists and content creators who cover your genre. The press release can be the body of the email itself, or you can write a shorter pitch email with the press release attached as a link.
Games Press (gamespress.com). A widely-used press distribution platform specifically for games. Journalists actively browse it for news. Uploading your press release and assets here extends your reach beyond your direct contacts. Most of the major outlets have staff who check Games Press regularly.
Wire services (with caveats). Services like Business Wire or PR Newswire distribute press releases to thousands of outlets. For AAA publishers, this makes sense. For indie developers, it's expensive ($200-$500+ per release) and the ROI is questionable. Most game journalists don't discover indie games through wire services. Your money is better spent elsewhere.
Social media. Post your announcement on Twitter/X, Bluesky, and any relevant communities. This isn't traditional press release distribution, but journalists monitor these platforms for news. A well-timed tweet with your trailer and key facts can generate coverage independently of your email outreach.
Your own website. Host every press release on your site as a blog post or news item. This creates a permanent record and helps with SEO. When someone Googles your game six months from now, that press release page might be what they find.
Free Tool: Fact Sheet Generator — Generate a professional game fact sheet ready to paste into your press kit. Runs in your browser, no signup required.
Press Kit Best Practices (Quick Reference)
Since this article is about the relationship between kits and releases, here are quick-fire press kit tips. For the full treatment, see our complete press kit guide.
Keep assets current. A press kit with screenshots from 18 months ago, when your game looked completely different, hurts more than it helps. Update assets at every major milestone.
Make downloads easy. One-click ZIP downloads. Individual image downloads. No registration walls. No Google Drive permission requests that require the journalist to ask for access.
Separate asset types. Screenshots in one section, logos in another, trailer embed separate from downloadable video files. Journalists know what they're looking for. Don't make them hunt.
Include both horizontal and vertical key art. Different outlets need different aspect ratios. A horizontal banner works for article headers. Vertical key art works for social media embeds and newsletter features.
Test your links quarterly. Broken press kit links are more common than you'd think, and they silently kill coverage opportunities you'll never know about. Developers who audit their press kits regularly often find at least one broken link they never noticed—usually a Google Drive file that was reorganized or a trailer that was replaced with a newer version. Developers who audit their press kits regularly often find at least one broken link they never noticed.
The Bottom Line
Your press kit is your permanent storefront for media. Your press release is your megaphone for specific moments. The kit stays up forever and gets updated over time. The release goes out once, for one reason, on one day.
Most indie developers need a press kit from day one of their public presence. Press releases become necessary when you have actual news to share: an announcement, a date, a launch, a milestone. Don't write a press release because you feel like you should be doing PR. Write one because you have something worth announcing.
And when you do write one, make sure your press kit is ready to back it up. The press release gets attention. The press kit closes the deal. One is the trailer. The other is the demo. You need both to convert.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a press release for Steam Next Fest?
It's optional. If your game is already announced, a short press release about the demo can help, but many developers skip the formal release and just send a pitch email with updated links. The press kit update matters more than the formal release.
How long should a press release be?
300-500 words total. Shorter is almost always better. Your lead paragraph should contain everything essential. Journalists should be able to write a news blurb from the first paragraph alone.
Should I use a wire service to distribute my press release?
For most indie developers, no. Services like Business Wire cost $200-500+ per release, and indie game journalists don't typically discover games through wire services. Your money is better spent on direct outreach or content creator campaigns.
Can my press kit description and press release use the same text?
They should overlap but not be identical. Your press kit has room for more detail and doesn't need to follow press release format. Your press release needs to be shorter, news-focused, and formatted for copy-paste use by outlets.
Related Guides
This article is part of our series on press coverage. Start with the complete guide:
Also in this series: