Editorial Policy

This policy explains how DearPassengers.net researches, writes, updates, and corrects its independent Dear Passengers coverage. The central rule is simple: a visible trailer moment can describe what appears on screen, but only a direct statement from FLEXUS or an official storefront can confirm a product feature.

Source Priority

1. Official storefronts. Steam is the primary source for release window, platform, play modes, languages, requirements, and store features.
2. Developer channels. FLEXUS websites and official accounts establish studio statements, trailers, and announcements.
3. Platform holders. PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and other official stores are required before a platform is described as confirmed.
4. Reputable reporting. News coverage can provide context and trailer observations, but it does not overrule a first-party listing.
5. Community discussion. Forums help identify demand and questions only; requests and speculation are not evidence of a feature.

Confirmed, Observed and Unannounced

A fact is labeled confirmed when a first-party source states it directly. A trailer detail may be described as observed in reveal footage when the wording stays limited to what is visible. If the official material does not answer a question, the site uses language such as “not stated,” “not announced,” or “unconfirmed.” Absence is not described as cancellation.

Updates and Dates

Time-sensitive pages include a published date, modified date, or visible “last verified” label. A date is advanced only after meaningful verification or a material content change. Cosmetic edits do not justify a false freshness signal. Important changes should be summarized in the relevant announcement timeline.

Research and Publication Workflow

A guide begins with a defined reader question rather than a target page count. Research checks the official Steam record, relevant FLEXUS channels, platform-holder listings, and direct interviews before using secondary reporting for context. Drafts keep source-backed product facts separate from editorial explanation. Before publication, names, dates, store identifiers, quotations, image attributions, links, metadata, canonical URLs, and structured data are checked for consistency. A page should answer a distinct search intent and link to broader or narrower guides where that helps the reader; near-duplicate pages are not created merely to capture wording variants.

The site may publish a useful negative answer when readers need protection from misinformation—for example, that no public demo download or console listing has been announced. Such a page must explain how to verify the status and which official event would change the answer. It must not imitate a download button, use a false countdown, promise access, or stretch an unknown detail into a rumor. Content is written for readers first; search terms may describe the question but do not justify repetitive or unnatural text.

Corrections

Clear factual errors are corrected promptly when a verifiable source is supplied. A correction may update the affected sentence, table, FAQ, structured data, modification date, and internal links. Substantial changes should also be reflected in the visible timeline. To report an issue, use the contact and corrections page and include the URL, disputed statement, proposed correction, and direct source.

Independence, Advertising and Affiliate Links

DearPassengers.net is independent from FLEXUS, Valve, and Steam. Advertising technology may appear on the site, but advertisers do not approve editorial conclusions. If an affiliate relationship is introduced in the future, it will be disclosed near the relevant link. Every current Steam wishlist link is a direct, unpaid storefront link without affiliate tracking, and DearPassengers.net receives no commission when a reader follows it. These links do not change the site’s verification standard.

Images, Video and Community Material

Official screenshots, store artwork, and trailers are used only when they help identify or explain the product, and their source should be clear from nearby context, a caption, or the linked evidence. An editorial illustration must not be presented as an in-game screenshot. Cropping, compression, and responsive delivery may be used for layout and performance, but an edit must not create a false interface, mechanic, character, endorsement, or announcement. If a rights holder identifies an attribution problem, the request is reviewed through the contact process.

Community posts, search suggestions, comments, and forum questions help reveal what players want to know. They do not establish player counts, release dates, features, reviews, or public sentiment on their own. Individual remarks are not invented or converted into a supposed consensus. When community reaction is relevant, coverage distinguishes a documented discussion from a statistically representative survey and avoids exposing unnecessary personal information.

Automation and AI Assistance

Automation may assist with formatting, consistency checks, keyword measurement, or technical validation. It must not invent sources, player quotes, reviews, test results, or developer statements. Published factual claims remain subject to the same source hierarchy regardless of which tools assisted the workflow.

Editorial Ownership

Pages are maintained under the byline “DearPassengers.net Editorial Team.” This shared byline identifies the site responsible for verification and corrections; it does not imply affiliation with the game studio. More context is available on the About DearPassengers.net page.

Quality Review and Page Retirement

Technical checks cover production rendering, internal links, mobile readability, image dimensions, language metadata, sitemap inclusion, and whether cited pages remain reachable. Editorial review also asks whether the answer is still useful, whether an unknown has become confirmed, and whether two pages now compete for the same purpose. A stale page may be updated, consolidated, redirected, or removed rather than kept online for traffic alone. Advertising does not turn an empty, expired, or low-value page into publishable content.