Gaming

Best time to post in r/gaming

The best and worst hours to post, the rules that get posts removed, and a check of your draft against both.

Posts in r/gaming are most often removed for self-promotion issues. It is a public subreddit that allows both text and link posts and does not require post flair. In our latest sample of 766 recent posts, an estimated 97% were still up about a day later.

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The best and worst hours to post in r/gaming

In our sample of 800 recent and top r/gaming posts, activity and scores peak around Thursday 2pm UTC, and are weakest around Tuesday 1pm UTC. Based on posts sampled through Sep 4, 2026. Times in this sentence are UTC; the grid below converts to your local timezone. Timing helps a clean post get seen. It does not save a post that breaks a rule.

Times in your timezoneUTC · GMT+0
  1. Window 1

    Thu around 2pm

    avg score 13279.8 · 9 posts sampled

  2. Window 2

    Sat around 7pm

    avg score 10204.2 · 5 posts sampled

  3. Window 3

    Thu around 7pm

    avg score 6057.1 · 17 posts sampled

Your timezone: UTC (GMT+0). Darker cells mean more posts in our sample.

Compare r/gaming against every tracked community on the best time to post on Reddit tool.

Estimated survival rate

97%

of 766 recent r/gaming posts we sampled were still publicly visible about a day later.

How this is measured

Estimate. We sample recent public posts and check again about 18 hours later to count how many are still publicly visible. Posts removed at the moment of submission never become publicly visible at all, so the true removal rate is at least this high. Last sampled Sep 5, 2026.

Strictness: ModeratePublic subText + link postsFlair optionalSelf-promo bannedAI content banned

r/gaming rules: what actually gets removed

Each rule below is paired with the way it is most likely enforced. Where the rules state a number, we quote it. Where they do not, we say so instead of guessing.

  1. 1.Not directly gaming related or generic meme template

    Enforcement varies

    All post must be ENTIRELY gaming related, adding a title or caption to force a connection is not allowed. **Non-gaming meme templates are not allowed.** **Both** the full base **image AND caption** must be gaming-related. No AI slop. For more info and detailed examples, [visit our rules page](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/wiki/index#wiki_rule_1.3A_gaming-related)

  2. 2.Posting guidelines, bandwagons, brigades, direct reply posts.

    Enforcement varies

    Posting Guidelines: * If you have a response, update or comment to an existing post, comment a reply instead of making your own post about it. * Posts promoting the spamming, brigading or raiding others subs (eg "pass it on" memes) will be removed and result in a permanent ban. * Posts must be in English * Pictures of children will be removed * Ragebait will be removed [More info here](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/wiki/index#wiki_rule_2.3A_bandwagons.2Fraids.2Fbrigades.2Fposting_guidelines)

  3. 3.Piracy

    Enforcement varies

    No piracy, **even "abandonware".** Enabling piracy via reddit, be it links to torrent sites, direct downloads, smoke signals that give instructions on how to pirate something, etc are not okay here. Don't do it. Whether or not if you agree with the practice, copyright infringement will not be tolerated. There are plenty of other sites on the internet where you can do it; if you must, go wild there, but not here, please. **Enabling or attempting to enable piracy will result in a permanent ban.**

  4. 4.Unmarked spoiler / Unmarked NSFW.

    Enforcement varies

    Tag your spoilers: `[X Kills Y](/spoiler)` Result: [X Kills Y](/spoiler). To mark a spoiler as relevant to a specific topic, use the alternate formatting: `[Player 1 wins](/spoiler "Pong")` Result: [Player 1 wins](/spoiler "Pong") Spoilers are NOT allowed in submission titles. NSFW content must be flaired as such. Cosplay posts from content creators primarily focused on adult content will be removed. [More info](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/wiki/index#wiki_rule_4.3A_tags)

  5. 5.No Giveaways / Trades / Contests / Items for sale / Donation requests / Crypto anything

    Enforcement varies

    No product requests, giveaways, trades, contests, items for sale, or donation requests. Nothing crypto, ever. Put simply, you can't ask for free stuff here, and you can't host giveaways here either. Trade posts and contests hosted on the subreddit will be removed. The subreddit is also not the place to put your items up for sale. [More info here](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/wiki/index#wiki_rule_5.3A_giveaways_.2F_trades_.2F_contests_.2F_items_for_sale.)

  6. 6.Not original source / Website screenshot

    Enforcement varies

    Make the original source of the content your submission, and do not use URL shorteners. No screenshots of websites or Twitter. If a mirror is necessary, please provide one in comments. No hotlinking or rehosting someone else's work (unless they specifically allow it in their terms of use or request it). [More info here](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/wiki/index#wiki_rule_6.3A_original_source)

  7. 7.Excessive self-promotion / Research & Surveys / Livestream / Affiliate Links

    Enforcement varies

    All users must abide by the [rules of promotion](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/wiki/index#wiki_rule_7.3A_self-promotion), which allow 10% max on submissions. Time is not a factor for this, just your sitewide activity. No survey links (not even you, **students and researchers - DO NOT ASK**). We do not allow livestream content No referral/affiliate links or [other spam](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043504051-Spam)

  8. 8.Discussion prompts must be posted as self/text posts

    Enforcement varies

    To curb karma farming, and due to community feedback, AskReddit style/open-ended discussion prompts must be submitted as self posts, image versions will be removed. Examples: * "What was your childhood game?** - Picture of Halo box art * "What's the best modern Playstation game?" - Picture of Horizon Forbidden West * "What online game have you sunk the most time in?" - Picture of VALORANT [More info here](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/wiki/index#wiki_rule_8.3A_discussion_prompts)

  9. 9.Bigotry / Incivility / Toxicity

    Enforcement varies

    Posts and comments, whether in jest or with malice, that contain racist, sexist, homophobic, threats, or other toxic content will be removed, regardless of popularity or relevance. Especially egregious violations or repeat offenses may result in accounts banned from /r/gaming.

  10. 10.AMA related rule.

    Enforcement varies

    **Post rules.** Must be from someone currently or previously employed in the gaming industry. Must be about something already done. No asking for money or crowd funding. Public proof is required. No giveaways or contests. No request posts. **Comment rules**. Do not ask for free stuff or personal favors. Do not spam the same comment or question over and over again. No vote manipulation. Rule 10 [For more info on these rules, **click here.**](https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/wiki/ama)

r/gaming does not publish karma or account-age minimums in its rules. Subreddits often enforce unpublished filters on top of what they write down, which is why posts from new accounts can vanish without a message here.

Can you self-promote in r/gaming?

No. r/gaming bans self-promotion outright: product links, launch posts, and thinly framed feedback posts get removed. The sub's own wording: "All users must abide by the rules of promotion, which allow 10% max on submissions.". If you want eyes on your project, contribute first and look for communities with a promo lane.

r/gaming by the numbers

Members
47.3M
Active right now
Not public
Posts / day
38
9K comments / day
Community age
18 years
since Sep 17, 2007
What a successful r/gaming post looks like · 400 top posts from the last month
Median title lengthPosts with a linkPosts with flairDominant format
75 characters81%0%link posts

What gets removed in r/gaming

  • Self-promotion

    r/gaming bans self-promo outright. Product links, launch posts, and thinly framed "feedback" posts are removed.

  • Low karma or a new account

    r/gaming publishes no karma or age minimum, but unpublished account filters are common at this size. New accounts should comment before posting.

  • AI-generated content

    r/gaming removes content it judges to be AI-generated. Obvious AI phrasing in a draft raises removal risk even when a human wrote most of it.

  • Reddit's sitewide spam filter

    A separate layer before the subreddit ever sees your post. New accounts posting links, URL shorteners, and repeated domains are its favorite targets. Removals are instant and silent.

  • A shadowbanned account

    If the account itself is shadowbanned, every post looks live to you and invisible to everyone else, in any subreddit.

Wondering about a post that already disappeared? Start with why Reddit posts get removed or run the free shadowban check.

Subreddits like r/gaming

Posting somewhere adjacent? Each of these has its own rules and its own removal pattern. Check the one you actually plan to post in.

See all subreddits like r/gaming

r/gaming posting questions

Can I post links in r/gaming?

Yes. r/gaming accepts link posts. The usual sitewide traps still apply: URL shorteners, affiliate parameters, and brand-new domains get filtered fast, and promotional links are judged against the sub's self-promo rules. One clean link to the original source is the safe pattern.

Does r/gaming require karma to post?

r/gaming does not publish a karma minimum. That does not mean there is none: many subreddits enforce unpublished karma and account-age filters that remove posts silently. If your account is new or has little karma, that is the first thing to rule out when a post disappears.

Can you self-promote in r/gaming?

No. r/gaming bans self-promotion outright: product links, launch posts, and thinly framed feedback posts get removed. The sub's own wording: "All users must abide by the rules of promotion, which allow 10% max on submissions.". If you want eyes on your project, contribute first and look for communities with a promo lane.

Is r/gaming strict?

Moderate, by our estimate (31/100 on our strictness scale, from its measured removal rate, 10 rules, and its stated gates). About 3% of recent posts disappeared within a day in our sample. Strictness is about enforcement, not hostility: a strict sub is predictable if you follow its rules.

Does r/gaming allow AI-generated content?

No. r/gaming removes content it judges to be AI-generated. That includes obviously AI-phrased text even when a human edited it, so rewrite drafts in your own voice before posting here.

What is the best time to post in r/gaming?

Based on our sample of recent and top posts, activity and scores peak around Thursday 2pm UTC and Saturday 7pm UTC. Treat this as a starting point, not a guarantee: a post that breaks a rule gets removed at any hour. The heatmap on this page converts these windows to your local time.

Why do posts get removed in r/gaming?

The most common reasons are self-promotion violations, plus the layers every subreddit has: Reddit's sitewide spam filter, unpublished AutoMod rules, and account-level gates like karma and age. In our recent sample, roughly 3% of r/gaming posts disappeared within about a day of going up. Many removals are silent, so checking your draft first beats finding out after.

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