Rock Paper Shotgun has released its “second Christmas Cracker 2025,” a holiday-themed post that continues the outlet’s annual tradition of publishing short festive gags for readers.

The entry is framed with a playful poem attributed to “eight scribes,” nodding to the RPS editorial team and the grind of a full year of games coverage. It’s a deliberately light, self-aware bit of seasonal fluff—more stocking stuffer than headline news—before inviting readers to enjoy the joke itself.

### A Holiday Post With a Subscription Nudge
Alongside the poem, RPS includes a call-to-action encouraging readers to subscribe for Supporters posts, positioning the site’s paid membership as a way to back its work heading into the new year.

While the post doesn’t reveal much beyond the festive format, it underlines a familiar reality across games media: as advertising remains volatile and social traffic continues to fluctuate, publications increasingly lean on direct audience support to stabilize revenue.

For readers, these kinds of holiday “cracker” posts are harmless fun—a brief palate cleanser between release dates, patches, and platform drama. For the industry, they’re also a reminder that community-funded journalism is becoming less optional and more core to how enthusiast sites plan to survive and keep covering games with personality.

Source: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/the-second-rps-christmas-cracker-2025