Gaming UGC rates by follower quartile
| Creatorfollowers and tier | UGC video, 15 to 30sproduction | UGC video, 30 to 60sproduction | Instagram Reelposted, Tech & gaming factor | TikTok videoposted, Tech & gaming factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom quarter1,917 followers, nano tier | $150$100 to $250 | $195$130 to $325 | $90$65 to $125 | $60$40 to $85 |
| Median creator9,531 followers, micro tier | $225$150 to $350 | $295$195 to $455 | $170$120 to $240 | $135$95 to $190 |
| Top quarter26,731 followers, mid tier | $375$250 to $600 | $490$325 to $780 | $410$285 to $570 | $325$230 to $460 |
| Median micro creator12,440 followers, micro tier | $225$150 to $350 | $295$195 to $455 | $190$135 to $265 | $150$105 to $215 |
2026 planning estimates from our calculator model and public rate cards. Follower figures are real, from our 7 October 2026 index snapshot. The niche factor is the influencer engine's Tech & gaming group (1.2x). Production columns are our UGC rate model, which prices by follower tier only: it has no niche or country input. Posted columns are our influencer engine at platform-typical engagement, organic use and no exclusivity. How these rates are modelled.
Where gaming creators sit
| Tierfollower range | Creatorsof 218 | Shareof the niche | UGC video, 15 to 30stypical for the tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nanounder 5,000 followers | 87 | 40% | $150$100 to $250 |
| Micro5,000 to 25,000 | 74 | 34% | $225$150 to $350 |
| Mid and above25,000 or more, priced at mid | 57 | 26% | $375$250 to $600 |
How gaming compares
Gaming creators are larger than the index as a whole. The median gaming creator has 9,531 followers against 1,680 across all 26,791 UGC-qualified creators, 467% more, which ranks gaming 1st of the 18 niches we price by median following. 60% of gaming creators have 5,000 or more followers, the point where our model moves a quote from nano to micro, against 22% index-wide.
The spread inside gaming is wide: the top quarter starts at 26,731 followers, 13.9 times the bottom quarter's 1,917. That middle half straddles the nano and mid tiers, so the production quote runs from $150 at the bottom quarter to $375 at the top.
Posted rates are where gaming carries a premium. The influencer engine puts gaming in its Tech & gaming group at a 1.2x factor, so a sponsored TikTok video from a 10,000-follower creator prices at $120 against $100 at the lifestyle baseline. Production rates carry no niche factor at all.
Of the 218 gaming creators in our index, 198 are on Instagram and 20 on TikTok (9.2%).
55% of gaming creators list a portfolio, against 34% index-wide, so more of this niche can show finished work before you commit to a rate. The deepest markets are the United States (66), the United Kingdom (31) and Argentina (11).
What moves a gaming quote
Gaming UGC is two products wearing one label. A facecam reaction over gameplay is a short, cheap, repeatable asset. A full capture session with commentary, overlays and a clean edit is a production. Brands that do not separate them in the brief end up paying production rates for reaction content or getting reaction content at production prices.
Capture setup
Clean gameplay capture needs a capture card, a second machine or a console setup and storage for the footage. Creators with that rig charge for it, and the raw footage add-on is worth buying because gameplay is the footage you will want to recut most often.
Session length
Gameplay needs time before the good moment happens. That makes gaming briefs closer to the 60 second plus rate than the short one, and the model marks that up by 60%. Ask for the clip you need rather than the session you imagine.
Platform and title rules
Publishers and platforms have their own rules about monetised gameplay, overlays and spoilers. A creator who knows them protects your campaign. Where a title is restricted, expect either a decline or a premium, and consider briefing a facecam reaction instead.
Briefing and negotiating gaming UGC
Name the game, the platform, the moment you need on screen and whether facecam is required. Say what can be overlaid and what cannot. Gaming briefs that specify the moment rather than the mood get short, usable clips at predictable prices, and they avoid paying for forty minutes of session in order to use eight seconds of it.
Ask for cutdowns from one session. The capture already exists, so three short clips from one recording is the cheapest volume in this niche. Buy the raw footage line on the first order so you are not paying a second session fee later for a moment you can already see in the footage you own.