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When a game’s stats are unpublished, put unknown in the field—not a plausible-looking estimate. Treat every cell as a claim with its own evidence grade, source, date, build scope, and status. That lets readers distinguish official information from observations, calculations, and unresolved gaps.
Why a missing stat should stay unknown
A complete-looking table can make weak evidence seem authoritative. A number copied from a beta screenshot, an unrelated build, or a single video may be real in that context without answering what the current game does. If no source establishes the requested value, label it unknown or not announced and say what evidence would settle it.
Unknown is useful information: it tells a player that the value has not been established to the guide’s standard. It is more honest—and more actionable—than silently substituting a number whose version or definition does not match.
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Keep a claim ledger behind the published guide. Each requested field should have a value or explicit unknown, plus enough provenance for another editor to check what the evidence actually supports.
#1 Best Overall
- Claim: the exact stat or mechanic being asserted, with units and definition.
- Evidence grade: how the value is supported.
- Source record: publisher or author, source type, public URL, and publication date where available.
- Check date: when the editor verified the source or observation.
- Scope: game build, platform, mode, region, and other conditions that affect the claim.
- Note: what the source proves, what it does not prove, and any assumptions.
- Review trigger: the event that should prompt a re-check, such as a patch or contradictory primary source.
Do not collapse the evidence grade and the claim’s current status into one label. An official statement may become stale after an update; a recent community report may remain uncorroborated. Keeping those dimensions separate makes both the source and its present usefulness visible.
Choose evidence labels readers can interpret
A DEV Community search excerpt attributed to xhorizon proposes four grades: official, confirmed, beta-observed, and unknown. The excerpt displayed “Posted on Sep 11,” but did not show a year; the full article was not available in the retrieved result, so no year or additional recommendation can be verified from it.
Those labels are a starting point, not a universal standard. Define each label on the page or in an editorial policy, and use it consistently. One practical scheme could distinguish:
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- Official: stated by the developer or publisher. This supports what the source says; it is not, by itself, an independent test.
- Observed: recorded in a specified build and under stated conditions.
- Corroborated: supported by more than one independent, compatible observation or source.
- Tested: measured using a stated protocol, build, conditions, and run count.
- Community: reported by players but not independently reproduced to the guide’s standard.
- Disputed: credible evidence conflicts and the difference has not been resolved.
- Unknown: the available evidence does not establish the requested value.
A separate status can show whether a claim remains current: for example, current, stale, or patched. The Game Field Guide policy and GTA6 Field Guide policy use overlapping but not identical status categories; these are examples of publisher policies, not a universal taxonomy.
Match the evidence threshold to the claim
Not every claim needs the same proof. A publisher’s announcement can establish a stated release date, while a claim about a damage mechanic may require current-build evidence. A benchmark summary needs comparable measurements, not a handful of incompatible anecdotes.
The WARDOGS Companion methodology, reviewed August 30, 2026, gives examples of thresholds used by that site. It calls for one current official primary source for a current release date or storefront price; official or corroborated current-build evidence for mechanics; and at least five comparable valid observations for benchmark summaries, with sample size and range shown. These are that site’s own minimum gates—not industry-wide rules.
Rank #3
- Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories
For any comparison, first make sure the records refer to the same build, platform, mode, units, and measurement definition. If they do not, present them separately with their scopes rather than ranking them as though they were interchangeable.
Handle absent, conflicting, and older-build evidence
No source establishes the value
Write “unknown” or “not announced” beside the field. Do not infer a number from silence. If useful, identify the kind of evidence that would resolve it, such as an official specification or a reproducible observation in the current build.
Sources disagree
Preserve both claims and label the disagreement. Before comparing them, check whether they use the same build, platform, mode, units, and definition. A mismatch may explain the apparent conflict; if it does not, do not choose the more convenient number without evidence.
Rank #4
The evidence is from a beta or earlier build
Keep the build qualification attached to the value. Do not silently turn a beta observation into a current-release fact. If the current build has not been checked, say so in the field’s status or note.
The number is calculated
Mark the result as an editorial calculation and expose its source inputs, formula, assumptions, and limitations. A ratio or normalized score is not a hidden game stat. Readers should be able to reproduce the calculation and judge whether its assumptions fit their decision.
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Attribute the report and avoid presenting one player’s result as representative of everyone. If it has not been independently reproduced, keep it distinct from tested or corroborated data.
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- Define the player’s question. Decide what choice the information should help with before collecting numbers.
- Register the sources. Record identity, URL, source type, date, scope, and limitations before drafting claims.
- Split the answer into checkable claims. Link each field to the evidence that supports it rather than citing a broad page for an entire table.
- Check comparability and conflicts. Verify build, mode, platform, units, and definitions across sources.
- Apply a claim-appropriate threshold. Use the relevant standard from the guide’s stated policy; do not present one publisher’s threshold as a general rule.
- Draft to the evidence. Put qualifications next to the number or claim they limit.
- Set re-check triggers. Revisit affected claims after a patch, new primary source, contradiction, or failed reproduction.
- Make corrections legible. Provide a way to report errors and show material changes in claim status.
Do not claim to have tested a game merely because you reviewed a source or watched a clip. A test claim needs an identified build, conditions, protocol, run count, and a reviewable outcome. When those details are absent, describe the evidence as a source review or observation instead.
Make the table show confidence, not just completeness
Put the evidence label and relevant scope close to each value, either in the cell or in a clearly keyed note. For patch-sensitive information, include a checked date. If the source proves only a beta value, show that beside the value instead of burying it in a general disclaimer.
When evidence is too weak or definitions differ, leave the fields unranked. A ranking implies comparability; it is not justified merely because every option can be placed in a table. The WARDOGS Companion methodology describes its principle plainly: “It does not create missing game facts.” The Game Field Guide policy similarly says, “Confirmed facts come from first-party sources or reproducible game data.” These are institutional statements from publisher policies, not named-person quotations or independent measures of how often guides get facts right.
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