Alexis Kestler
Hey there fellow gaming fanatic!
If you love games as much as I do, you likely know the industry is booming. Global games revenue is predicted to top $200 billion by 2023 according to Newzoo.
With so many new games, consoles, accessories and merchandise launching all the time, there‘s a huge opportunity for us as affiliates to partner with gaming companies and earn commissions promoting what we love.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through the top gaming affiliate programs that I‘ve found offer the highest earning potential, especially for avid gamers like us.
Let‘s start with a quick overview of what gaming affiliate marketing actually involves.
What Are Gaming Affiliate Programs?
Gaming affiliate programs connect game publishers and brands with people who have an audience and influence amongst gamers.
As an affiliate, you get a unique referral link or promo code that lets game companies track the sales you drive by promoting their products to your audience.
In exchange, the more conversions you drive through your link, the more commission you earn. It‘s a win-win for both sides.
Commissions in gaming tend to be on the higher side – usually around 5-15%. But for digital goods like game keys, in-game currency, and DLC, commissions can range from 20% to even 50% in some cases.
Gaming affiliates typically focus on promoting:
- New and pre-order game releases
- In-game currencies, loot boxes, upgrades
- Game keys, gift cards and season passes
- Gaming merch including shirts, hoodies, collectibles
- Gaming services like coaching, boosting, cheat tools
Now let‘s dive into the top gaming affiliate programs that I recommend based on my experience…
1. Green Man Gaming
Commission: 8% on game sales
Green Man Gaming (GMG) is one of the web‘s leading authorized game key retailers. They partner directly with publishers to sell game keys at up to 90% off.
Some key benefits of GMG‘s program:
- High conversion rates – Their discounted game keys convert extremely well with gamers looking for deals. Their data shows affiliates earn $113 EPC on average.
- Relevant tools – You get access to game-specific product imagery, banner creatives, and promotions to embed into your content.
- Monthly payouts – No minimum thresholds. You receive your earnings each month which is faster than most other gaming affiliate programs.
For me, GMG has delivered big results thanks to their high intent users seeking deals. Promoting new releases like Elden Ring which already have major buzz elevates conversions even further.
2. Kinguin
Commission: 1-5%
Kinguin is a rapidly growing game key marketplace where over 20,000 digital keys are sold daily. Users can find deals on keys for Steam, Uplay, Origin and more.
Here‘s an overview of their commission tiers:
- Tier 1: 0.25% base commission
- Tier 2: 0.75% commission
- Tier 3: 5% commission for elite affiliates
Kinguin makes it easy to showcase relevant games using their banners and promo codes tailored for different platforms.
Their stats show affiliates in Tier 3 earn around $90 EPC thanks to the 5% commission rate. So it pays to drive higher volume once you get approved for their top tier.
3. GameFlip
Commission: 20% revenue share
GameFlip stands out with their generous 20% revenue share program. They allow users to safely buy and sell gaming accounts, skins, items, gift cards and hardware.
As an affiliate, you earn 20% lifetime commission on every transaction made by users you refer. Some key perks:
- 90-day cookie duration – Ensures you get credited for long term conversions
- Dedicated account manager – Helps maximize your promotions and earnings
- Leaderboard contests – Chance to win prizes when you hit high volumes
With both buyer and seller transactions contributing to your income, GameFlip provides multiple earning opportunities from a single user.
4. CDKeys
Commission: Up to 12%
CDKeys is a rapidly growing digital marketplace with over 7 million monthly visitors. They offer instant delivery of game keys, Xbox Live, PSN, gift cards and more at discounted prices.
Here‘s their attractive commission structure:
- 12% on app store credit and virtual currencies like Roblox, Fortnite V-Bucks, COD Points
- 8% on digital goods including game keys, gift cards, software
- 5% on hardware purchases like gaming PCs, components, accessories
CDKeys provides an extensive range of creatives, promo tools, and analytics to maximize your earnings. You can promote hot titles during launches and seasonal sales events when conversions peak.
5. Razer Gold
Commission: Up to 20%
Razer Gold lets gamers easily add credit to their accounts for games like Facebook, Xbox Live, Nintendo, IMVU etc. They support over 600k titles.
You can earn up to 20% commission by referring users to purchase Razer Gold pins and digital codes.
Some notable benefits:
- Payments processed on a weekly basis
- Dedicated account manager
- Customizable promo materials
- Contests and bonuses for top affiliates
For gaming influencers, this is an easy way to monetize your audience by sharing your custom Razer Gold affiliate links. The commissions add up quick!
6. Humble Bundle
Commission: 5% base plus bonuses
Humble Bundle offers popular gaming and book bundles where users pay what they wish. The average order value is $15, providing great earning potential.
Their bonus commission structure further boosts your earnings:
- 5% base commission on all purchases
- 10% bonus on new Humble Monthly/Choice subscribers you refer
- Up to 80% bonus during promotional periods
For each bundle, you get relevant promo tools and creatives to embed on your site. Focusing promotions around big game bundles and seasonal sales events are key for maximizing earnings.
7. Fanatical
Commission: 8%
Fanatical offers official game keys for top titles at consistently low prices. They have key partnerships with major publishers like SEGA, Capcom, and more.
As an affiliate, you can earn 8% from any referred game sales by featuring Fanatical banners/links in your content and videos.
Some key perks that make Fanatical a top program:
- 90-day cookie duration – Gives you 3 months to earn commissions from each referred user
- Custom landing pages – Maximizes conversion rates
- Regular giveaways – Chance to win free games just for promoting them
If you love discovering gaming deals, Fanatical‘s catalog of 85,000+ game keys deliver huge value given the high commission rate.
8. GameTreeMe
Commission: Up to 55% revenue share
GameTreeMe is a marketplace connecting novice gamers with expert coaches to help improve their skills. It‘s extremely popular for competitive games like Fortnite, League of Legends, CS:GO and more.
As an affiliate, you earn commissions referring both students and coaches:
- 55% revenue share from any coaches you refer to the platform
- 15% revenue share from any students you refer
So you monetize both sides of the marketplace. With gaming coaching services surging in popularity, their program provides a lucrative recurring revenue stream.
9. Loots.com
Commission: 50% revenue share
Loots.com is a virtual currency marketplace where gamers can safely buy coins, power ups, skins and more for over 300 games.
Their affiliate program provides a generous 50% revenue share from referred users‘ purchases for the lifetime of that user.
Loots focuses primarily on mobile gaming currencies which is a massive niche. Top affiliates easily earn over $1000 per month thanks to the high commission rate.
10. Gamesense
Commission: 20-40% revenue share
Gamesense provides performance tracking and analytics tools for esports gamers and teams. Their software helps gamers analyze and improve their skills.
As an affiliate, you can earn 20-40% recurring revenue share from each referral‘s subscription payments.
Their tool integrates directly with games like CS:GO, Valorant, Fortnite, and more, providing actionable insights into factors like aim, reaction time etc.
For esports influencers and teams, promoting Gamesense provides a lucrative recurring income stream. Their average order value is $10 per month.
11. GamerSaloon
Commission: 10-20% revenue share
GamerSaloon runs online esports tournaments where gamers can compete and win prizes in their favorite games. Entry fees range from $1 to $100 per tournament.
As an affiliate, you earn 10-20% revenue share on entry fees from users you refer:
- 10% revenue share for first-time referred users
- 20% for repeat referred users
Top affiliates easily earn over $2000 per month thanks to the high repeat rate. The more tournaments a user enters, the more you earn.
12. Robot Cache
Commission: 25% revenue share
Robot Cache is an innovative PC game marketplace that uses blockchain technology. Gamers can resell digital games after use.
Their affiliate program offers 25% lifetime revenue share from referred users. You also earn additional revenue share from referred user resales.
Robot Cache provides a suite of marketing tools including promo codes, creatives and customizable landing pages. Their average order value is $60.
If your audience cares about reselling their games, Robot Cache is a novel solution that delivers value.
13. Legendary Builds
Commission: 10%
Legendary Builds offers managed services helping gamers optimize their system‘s performance. Services include building custom PCs, overclocking, upgrading setups and more.
You can earn 10% commission on service purchases from any referred users. They offer flexible promo tools like custom coded links, referral banners, social posts and more.
For PC gaming influencers, promoting Legendary Builds‘ services provides helpful value to your audience. The recurring revenue share creates lasting income.
14. Corsair
Commission: 8%
Corsair is a leader in high-end PC components and accessories for enthusiasts. Their gear is ubiquitous with hardcore gamers who customize their rigs.
You can earn 8% commission on sales of Corsair hardware like computer cases, RAM, power supplies, keyboards, mice and more.
Some perks include:
- Dedicated account manager
- Marketing collateral and promo codes
- Monthly newsletters with top offers
- Contests for highest sales
If your audience builds and customizes gaming PCs, you likely already know and trust Corsair‘s quality. Their affiliate program lets you finally monetize that trust.
15. NZXT
Commission: 5%
NZXT specializes in elite gaming cases, cooling and PC components for enthusiasts. With their clean, minimalist aesthetics NZXT has emerged as the go-to gaming PC brand for Millenials and Gen Z.
As an affiliate, you can earn 5% commission promoting NZXT cases, cooling, motherboards and more.
NZXT makes promoting easy through:
- High-res product images and specs
- Banner creatives and text links
- Dedicated landing pages for trending products like the NZXT H1 case
NZXT has mastered gamer aesthetic appeal.Combined with your trust factor, commissions come easy promoting their cutting-edge gear.
16. Western Digital
Commission: 4%
Western Digital is the market leader in storage solutions including SSDs, external hard drives, memory cards and more.
You can earn 4% promoting their storage solutions perfect for console and PC gaming like:
- WD_Black SN850 NVMe SSDs – Blazing fast game load times
- WD_Black P10 External HDDs – Extra game storage
- SanDisk Extreme Pro memory cards – More space for Nintendo Switch games
WD‘s gaming storage solutions help level up any gamer‘s experience. And the recurring media purchases provide lasting affiliate opportunities.
Wrapping Up
Hope this guide helps you identify the most lucrative gaming affiliate programs to maximize your earnings.
Here are a few key factors I considered when researching programs:
- High commission rates – Programs offering 20%+ are ideal
- Relevant promotional tools – Creative assets that appeal to gamers help drive conversions
- Recurring opportunities – Subscription services and repeat purchases provide lasting income
The gaming industry continues to grow rapidly each year. Now is the perfect time to tap into that growth by joining the right affiliate programs for your gaming niche.
Wishing you the best of luck and happy gaming!
