Fandom (website)#OpenServing

Fandom was launched on October 18, 2004, at 23:50:49 (UTC) under the name Wikicities (which invited comparisons to Yahoo's GeoCities),{{Cite web |title=Global villages convene in wiki town halls |author=Gussow, Dave |publisher=St. Petersburg Times |url=https://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/04/Technology/Global_villages_conve.shtml |date=April 4, 2005 |access-date=April 7, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050424214231/https://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/04/Technology/Global_villages_conve.shtml |archive-date=April 24, 2005 |url-status=dead}} by Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia, and Angela Beesley Starling—respectively chairman emeritus and advisory board member of the Wikimedia Foundation. Wales' original idea was to use his Wikipedia idea for a place where people from the same city or other geographical place could come together.{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/23841327/fandom-wikia-perkins-miller-ads-ai-community-passion|title=Fandom runs some of the biggest communities on the internet — can CEO Perkins Miller keep them happy?|work=theverge.com|date=22 August 2023|access-date=August 23, 2023|archive-date=August 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823171753/https://www.theverge.com/23841327/fandom-wikia-perkins-miller-ads-ai-community-passion|url-status=live}}

The project's name was changed to Wikia on March 27, 2006.{{Cite web|title=Wikia – Build Your Own Wiki|first=Pete|last=Cashmore|website=Mashable|editor=Mashable|editor-link=Mashable|url=https://mashable.com/2006/03/28/wikia-build-your-own-wiki/|date=March 28, 2006|access-date=May 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905121222/https://mashable.com/2006/03/28/wikia-build-your-own-wiki/|archive-date=September 5, 2015|url-status=live}} In the month before the move, Wikia announced a US$4 million venture capital investment from Bessemer Venture Partners and First Round Capital.{{Cite web |title=Venture capitalists invest wiki-millions |author=Hinman, Michael |work=Tampa Bay Business Journal |url=https://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2006/03/13/story1.html |date=March 10, 2006 |access-date=March 10, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312012404/https://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2006/03/13/story1.html |archive-date=March 12, 2007 |url-status=live}} Nine months later, Amazon.com invested $10 million in Series B funding.{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116541504907142282 |title=Jimmy Wales's Wikia Venture Gets Funding From Amazon |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |author= |date=December 6, 2006 |access-date=December 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225022724/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116541504907142282 |archive-date=December 25, 2016 |url-status=live}} By September 2006, Wikia had approximately 1,500 wikis in 48 languages.{{Cite web |url=https://www.technewsworld.com/story/Vkg5Q8W8POblL7/Wikipedia-Founder-Staffs-For-Profit-Wikia-Spinoff.xhtml |title=Wikipedia Founder Staffs For Profit Wikia Spinoff |last=Shannon |first=Victoria |work=International Herald Tribune |date=September 28, 2006 |access-date=October 28, 2006 |archive-date=October 21, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021224916/https://www.technewsworld.com/story/Vkg5Q8W8POblL7/Wikipedia-Founder-Staffs-For-Profit-Wikia-Spinoff.xhtml}} Over time, Wikia has incorporated formerly independent fan wikis such as LyricWiki, Nukapedia, Uncyclopedia, and WoWWiki.{{cite journal |last=Warschauer |first=Mark |author2=Grimes, Douglas |year=2007 |title=Audience, Authorship, and Artifact: The emergent semiotics of Web 2.0 |journal=Annual Review of Applied Linguistics |volume=27 |pages=1–23 |doi=10.1017/S0267190508070013|doi-broken-date=November 1, 2024 |citeseerx=10.1.1.540.2850 |s2cid=62103795}} Gil Penchina described Wikia early on as "the rest of the library and magazine rack" to Wikipedia's encyclopedia.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U_Jos-CxgBgC&q=Wikia&pg=PA14 |title=Wiki Writing: Collaborative Learning in the College Classroom |page=14 |access-date=September 17, 2014 |first1=Matthew |last1=Barton |first2=Robert |last2=Cummings |name-list-style=amp |publisher=University of Michigan Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0472024513 |archive-date=March 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323063739/https://books.google.com/books?id=U_Jos-CxgBgC&q=Wikia&pg=PA14 |url-status=live}} The material has also been described as informal, and often bordering on entertainment, allowing the importing of maps, YouTube videos, and other non-traditional wiki material.{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780470623978 |url-access=registration |quote=Wikia. |page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780470623978/page/491 491] |title=The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success |first=Lon |last=Safko |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2010 |access-date=September 18, 2014|isbn=9780470912706}}

By 2010, wikis could be created in 188 different languages. In October 2011, Craig Palmer, the former CEO of Gracenote, replaced Penchina as CEO.{{Cite web |url=https://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2011/10/13/wikia-names-ex-gracenote-craig-palmer-as-ceo |title=Wikia names ex-Gracenote Craig Palmer as CEO |author=Marlowe, C. |publisher=DMWMedia.com |access-date=October 16, 2011 |date=October 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016020401/https://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2011/10/13/wikia-names-ex-gracenote-craig-palmer-as-ceo |archive-date=October 16, 2011 |url-status=live}} In February 2012, co-founder Beesley Starling left Wikia to launch a startup called ChalkDrop.com.{{Cite web|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Angela/Leaving_Wikia|title=Leaving Wikia|publisher=Wikia, Inc.|work=Community Central|last=Beesley|first=Angela|date=February 8, 2012|access-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427142346/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Angela/Leaving_Wikia|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}} At the end of November 2012, Wikia raised $10.8 million in Series C funding from Institutional Venture Partners and previous investors Bessemer Ventures Partners and Amazon.com.{{Cite web |first=Alexia |last=Tsotsis |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/30/ugc-startup-wikia-raises-10m-from-ivp-bessemer-ventures-and-amazon/ |title=With 1B Pageviews Under Its Belt, UGC Giant Wikia Raises $10.8M From IVP, Bessemer & Amazon |publisher=TechCrunch |date=November 30, 2012 |access-date=December 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705145927/https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/30/ugc-startup-wikia-raises-10m-from-ivp-bessemer-ventures-and-amazon/ |archive-date=July 5, 2017 |url-status=live}} Another $15 million was raised in August 2014 for Series D funding, with investors Digital Garage, Amazon, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Institutional Venture Partners. The total raised at this point was $39.8 million.{{Cite web |url=https://fortune.com/2014/08/28/term-sheet-thursday-august-28/ |work=Fortune Magazine |access-date=September 18, 2014 |title=Term Sheet -- Thursday, August 28 |first=Dan |last=Primack |date=August 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905035529/https://fortune.com/2014/08/28/term-sheet-thursday-august-28/ |archive-date=September 5, 2014 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/08/27/user-generated-content-portal-wikia-raises-another-15m-to-crack-into-asia/ |publisher=TechCrunch |access-date=September 18, 2014 |date=August 27, 2014 |title=User-Generated Content Portal Wikia Raises Another $15M To Crack Into Asia |first=Ingrid |last=Lunden |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707144704/https://techcrunch.com/2014/08/27/user-generated-content-portal-wikia-raises-another-15m-to-crack-into-asia/ |archive-date=July 7, 2017 |url-status=live}}

On March 4, 2015, Wikia appointed Walker Jacobs, former executive vice-president of Turner Broadcasting System, to the new position of chief operating officer.{{cite press release|author1=PRNewswire|title=Wikia Appoints Walker Jacobs Chief Operating Officer|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wikia-appoints-walker-jacobs-chief-operating-officer-300045400.html|access-date=August 17, 2015|work=PR Newswire|publisher=PR Newswire Association LLC|date=March 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924161638/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wikia-appoints-walker-jacobs-chief-operating-officer-300045400.html|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=live}} In December 2015, Wikia launched the Fan Contributor Program.

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On January 25, 2016, Wikia launched a new entertainment news site named Fandom.{{Cite web|last1=Chmielewski|first1=Dawn|title=Wikia Launches Fandom, a New Place to Get Your Nerd On|url=https://www.recode.net/2016/1/25/11589030/wikia-launches-fandom-a-new-place-to-get-your-nerd-on|website=Recode|access-date=June 15, 2016|date=January 25, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621125002/https://www.recode.net/2016/1/25/11589030/wikia-launches-fandom-a-new-place-to-get-your-nerd-on|archive-date=June 21, 2016|url-status=live}} On October 4, Wikia itself was rebranded as "Fandom powered by Wikia", to better associate itself with the Fandom website. The parent company Wikia, Inc. remained under its then-current name until 2019, and the homepage of Wikia was moved to wikia.com/fandom and later to fandom.com. In December, Wikia appointed Dorth Raphaely, former general manager of Bleacher Report, as chief content officer.{{cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wikia-inc-announces-new-senior-vice-president-of-content-at-fandom-dorth-raphaely-300380798.html|title=Wikia, Inc. Announces New Senior Vice President of Content at Fandom, Dorth Raphaely|website=PR Newswire|publisher=Cision|access-date=April 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180430114558/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wikia-inc-announces-new-senior-vice-president-of-content-at-fandom-dorth-raphaely-300380798.html|archive-date=April 30, 2018|url-status=live}}

On May 18, 2017, Fandom updated their branding with a refreshed logo, all-uppercase lettering, and a flat design instead of the previous green-blue gradients.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

In February 2018, former AOL CEO Jon Miller, backed by private equity firm TPG Capital, acquired Fandom. Miller was named co-chairman of Wikia, Inc., alongside Jimmy Wales,{{cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wikia-incs-fandom-announces-investment-led-by-media-veteran-jon-miller-300600947.html|title=Wikia, Inc.'s FANDOM Announces Investment Led by Media Veteran Jon Miller|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en|access-date=May 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504094118/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wikia-incs-fandom-announces-investment-led-by-media-veteran-jon-miller-300600947.html|archive-date=May 4, 2018|url-status=live}} and TPG Capital director Andrew Doyle assumed the role of interim CEO.{{cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Fandom Names StubHub Exec Perkins Miller CEO (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/fandom-perkins-miller-ceo-1203129212/ |website=Variety |publisher=Penske Business Media |date=6 February 2019 |access-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108233956/https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/fandom-perkins-miller-ceo-1203129212/ |url-status=live}} In July, Fandom purchased Screen Junkies from Defy Media,{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/fandom-acquires-screen-junkies-defy-media-1202863221/|title=Fandom Acquires Screen Junkies From Defy Media|date=July 2, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=July 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204615/https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/fandom-acquires-screen-junkies-defy-media-1202863221/|archive-date=July 2, 2018|url-status=live}} and in December of that year, they had acquired Curse Media which included wiki farm Gamepedia and websites part of the Curse Network such as D&D Beyond, Futhead, Muthead, and StrawPoll.me.{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |date=December 13, 2018 |title=Twitch sells Curse Media |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/twitch-sells-curse-media |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221164524/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/twitch-sells-curse-media |archive-date=February 21, 2023 |access-date=May 5, 2023 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}

In February 2019, former StubHub CEO Perkins Miller took over as CEO, and Wikia fully changed its domain name to fandom.com.{{Cite web |last=Rhea |first=Brandon|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Brandon_Rhea/Wiki_domains_will_be_changing_from_wikia.com_to_fandom.com_in_early_2019 |title=Wiki domains will be changing from wikia.com to fandom.com in early 2019 |work=Community Central |publisher=Wikia, Inc. |date=August 15, 2018 |access-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427142525/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Brandon_Rhea/Wiki_domains_will_be_changing_from_wikia.com_to_fandom.com_in_early_2019 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |url-status=live}} Various wikis had been tested with the new domain during 2018, with some wikis that focused on "more serious topics" having their domains changed to wikia.org instead.{{Cite web |url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Help:Fandom_domain_migration |title=Fandom domain migration |access-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412234947/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Help:Fandom_domain_migration |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |url-status=live}} In June, Fandom began an effort to rewrite its core platform, which was written based on MediaWiki version 1.19, to base it on a newer version of the software.{{Cite web|last=Kavanagh|first=Will|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/Fandom_is_upgrading_to_a_modern_version_of_MediaWiki|title=Fandom is upgrading to a modern version of MediaWiki|date=June 20, 2019|access-date=June 23, 2019|publisher=Wikia, Inc.|website=Community Central|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623124604/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/Fandom_is_upgrading_to_a_modern_version_of_MediaWiki|archive-date=June 23, 2019|url-status=live}} On March 11, 2020, Fandom released the Unified Community Platform (UCP), based on MediaWiki 1.33,{{cite web|last=Kavanagh|first=Will|title=Unified Community Platform: The Vision, Purpose, and Process|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/Unified_Community_Platform:_The_Vision,_Purpose,_and_Process|website=Community Central|publisher=Fandom, Inc.|access-date=8 November 2021|language=en|archive-date=January 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108025337/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/Unified_Community_Platform:_The_Vision,_Purpose,_and_Process|url-status=live}} for newly created wikis.{{Cite web|last=Kavanagh|first=Will|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/The_first_Unified_Community_Platform_release_is_now_live_for_NEW_wikis#comm-1824298|title=The first Unified Community Platform release is now live for NEW wikis|date=March 12, 2020|access-date=March 12, 2020|publisher=Fandom, Inc.|website=Community Central|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200313000122/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/The_first_Unified_Community_Platform_release_is_now_live_for_NEW_wikis|archive-date=March 13, 2020|url-status=live}}

In 2020, Fandom sold Curse Network properties to Magic Find which includes communities and news websites.{{Cite web |title=M.O.B.A. Network agrees to acquire the company Magic Find - a leading player within gaming streaming on YouTube and owner of several well-known gaming communities |url=https://news.cision.com/m-o-b-a-network-ab/r/m-o-b-a--network-enters-into-an-agreement-to-acquire-the-company-magic-find---a-leading-player-withi,c3349956 |access-date=2023-04-17 |website=News Powered by Cision |date=May 19, 2021 |language=en |archive-date=February 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223214850/https://news.cision.com/m-o-b-a-network-ab/r/m-o-b-a--network-enters-into-an-agreement-to-acquire-the-company-magic-find---a-leading-player-withi,c3349956 |url-status=live}} In November, Fandom began to migrate Gamepedia wikis to a fandom.com domain as part of their search engine optimization strategy, with migrations continuing into 2021.{{Cite web|last=Kavanagh|first=Will|title=The Future of Gamepedia|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/The_Future_of_Gamepedia|access-date=2020-11-07|website=Community Central|language=en|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108123247/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/The_Future_of_Gamepedia|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Kavanagh|first=Will|title=An update on Fandom and Gamepedia domain migrations|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/An_update_on_Fandom_and_Gamepedia_domain_migrations|access-date=2020-11-07|website=Community Central|language=en|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108123247/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/An_update_on_Fandom_and_Gamepedia_domain_migrations|url-status=live}}

In February 2021, Fandom acquired Focus Multimedia, the retailer behind Fanatical, an e-commerce platform that sells digital games, ebooks and other products related to gaming.{{Cite web|last=Rhea |first=Brandon|title=Fandom Acquires Gaming E-Commerce Platform Fanatical|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Brandon_Rhea/Fandom_Acquires_Gaming_E-Commerce_Platform_Fanatical|access-date=2021-02-24|date=2021-02-24|website=Community Central|language=en|publisher=Fandom, Inc.|archive-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302032231/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:Brandon_Rhea/Fandom_Acquires_Gaming_E-Commerce_Platform_Fanatical|url-status=live}} In late March, Fandom updated its terms of use policy to prohibit deadnaming transgender individuals across their websites.{{Cite web |last1=Baron |first1=Reuben |title=Fandom Rules Against Deadnaming on Star Wars' Wookieepedia |url=https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-wiki-wookiepedia-deadnaming-fandom/ |website=CBR.com |publisher=Comic Book Resources |access-date=31 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329235159/https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-wiki-wookiepedia-deadnaming-fandom/ |archive-date=29 March 2021 |date=29 March 2021 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last1=Whitbrook |first1=James |title=How Star Wars' Biggest Fan Wiki Found Itself in a Fight Over Trans Identity |url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-star-wars-biggest-fan-wiki-found-itself-in-a-fight-1846578173 |website=io9 |publisher=Gawker Media |access-date=31 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331011710/https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-star-wars-biggest-fan-wiki-found-itself-in-a-fight-1846578173/ |archive-date=31 March 2021 |date=30 March 2021 |url-status=live}} This policy was in response to a referendum on the Star Wars wiki Wookieepedia to ban deadnaming, which triggered a debate around an article about the non-binary artist Robin Pronovost.{{Cite web |title=Forum:CT:Amendment to naming policy for real-world transgender individuals |url=https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Forum:CT:Amendment_to_naming_policy_for_real-world_transgender_individuals |website=Wookieepedia |publisher=Fandom |access-date=2 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210402011338/https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Forum:CT:Amendment_to_naming_policy_for_real-world_transgender_individuals |archive-date=2 April 2021 |date=29 March 2021}} In response to the deadnaming controversy, Fandom also introduced new LGBT guidelines across its websites in late June 2021 which include links to queer-inclusive and trans support resources.{{Cite web |last1=Whitbrook |first1=James |title=Fandom Launches New LGBTQIA+ Guidelines for All Its Wikis |url=https://gizmodo.com/fandom-launches-new-lgbtqia-guidelines-for-all-its-wik-1847166009 |website=io9 |publisher=Gizmodo |access-date=28 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627062449/https://gizmodo.com/fandom-launches-new-lgbtqia-guidelines-for-all-its-wik-1847166009 |archive-date=27 June 2021 |date=24 June 2021 |url-status=live}}

In June 2021, Fandom began to roll out FandomDesktop, a redesigned theme for desktop devices,{{Cite web |last=Kavanagh |first=Will |title=The Month at Fandom – June 2021 |url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/The_Month_at_Fandom_-_June_2021 |website=Fandom |access-date=July 2, 2021 |date=July 1, 2021 |archive-date=July 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707023320/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/The_Month_at_Fandom_-_June_2021 |url-status=live}} with plans to retire its legacy Oasis and Hydra skins once the rollout was complete.{{Cite web |url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/Retirement_of_legacy_designs |title=User blog:MisterWoodhouse/Retirement of legacy designs {{!}} Community Central {{!}} Fandom |access-date=5 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830153605/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:MisterWoodhouse/Retirement_of_legacy_designs |archive-date=30 August 2021 |url-status=live}} Two months later on August 3, Fandom rolled out a new look, new colors, new logo, and introduced a new tagline, "For the love of fans."{{Cite news|title=The Future of Fandom|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/The_Future_of_Fandom|access-date=2021-08-04|website=Community Central|language=en|archive-date=April 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426230344/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/The_Future_of_Fandom|url-status=live}} In late November/early December, all remaining wikis under the wikia.org domain migrated to the fandom.com domain.[https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Help:Wikia.org_domain_migration Wikia.org domain migration] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206181848/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Help:Wikia.org_domain_migration |date=December 6, 2021}} Retrieved December 1, 2021

On April 13, 2022, Hasbro announced that it would acquire D&D Beyond from Fandom.{{Cite web |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |date=2022-04-13 |title=Hasbro Buys D&D Beyond for $146.3M in Gaming Expansion |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/hasbro-buys-dd-beyond-for-146-3m-in-gaming-expansion-1235129523/ |access-date=2023-04-17 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US |archive-date=April 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417093724/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/hasbro-buys-dd-beyond-for-146-3m-in-gaming-expansion-1235129523/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Vanjani |first=Karishma |title=Hasbro Pushes for Digital Growth of Dungeons & Dragons With $146M Acquisition |url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/hasbro-stock-dungeons-dragons-beyond-acquisition-51649875679 |access-date=2023-04-17 |website=barrons.com |language=en-US |archive-date=April 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419153244/https://www.barrons.com/articles/hasbro-stock-dungeons-dragons-beyond-acquisition-51649875679 |url-status=live}} Fandom shut down StrawPoll.me in August.{{Cite web |title=August 2022: StrawPoll.me closure - Fandom |url=https://support.fandom.com/hc/en-us/articles/7951865547671 |access-date=April 17, 2023 |archive-date=April 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417162100/https://support.fandom.com/hc/en-us/articles/7951865547671 |url-status=live}} On October 3, Fandom acquired GameSpot, Metacritic, TV Guide, GameFAQs, Giant Bomb, Cord Cutters News, and Comic Vine from Red Ventures.{{Cite press release |date=2022-10-03 |title=Fandom Acquires Leading Entertainment & Gaming Brands Including GameSpot, TV Guide and Metacritic |url=https://about.fandom.com/news/fandom-acquires-leading-entertainment-gaming-brands-including-gamespot-tv-guide-and-metacritic |access-date=2022-10-03 |website=Fandom |language=en |archive-date=October 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004000107/https://about.fandom.com/news/fandom-acquires-leading-entertainment-gaming-brands-including-gamespot-tv-guide-and-metacritic |url-status=live}} Fandom later sold Giant Bomb to the site's staff in May 2025.{{cite web | last=Middler | first=Jordan | title=Giant Bomb has been sold by Fandom, will continue independently | website=VGC | date=May 10, 2025 | url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/giant-bomb-sold-by-fandom-will-continue-independently/ | access-date=May 11, 2025}}

{{see also|Fan wiki}}

The main purpose of articles in a Fandom community is to cover information and discussion on a particular topic in a much greater and more comprehensive detail level than what can be found in Wikipedia articles.{{cite news |title=With Wikia, a Wikipedia founder looks to strike it rich |author=McNichol, Tom |publisher=Business 2.0 Magazine |date=March 2007 |access-date=June 24, 2008 |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/03/01/8401010/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725235252/https://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/03/01/8401010/index.htm |archive-date=July 25, 2008 |url-status=live}}

Other examples of content that is generally considered beyond the scope of Wikipedia articles include Fandom information about video games and related video game topics, detailed instructions, gameplay details, plot details, and so forth. Gameplay concepts can also have their own articles. Fandom also allows wikis to have a point of view, rather than the neutral POV that is required by Wikipedia (although NPOV is a local policy on many Fandom communities).{{cite conference |url=https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021&context=docam |title=Wikia: Between Document Simulacra and Documented Fictions |first1=Caroline |last1=Coubieres |first2=Sabine |last2=Roux |year=2015 |volume=2 |issue=1 |conference=Proceedings from 12th Annual Meeting of the Document Academy |access-date=December 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225021905/https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1021&context=docam |archive-date=December 25, 2016 |url-status=live}}{{cite conference |url=https://www.patres-project.eu/images/4/47/ViableWikis.pdf |title=Viable Wikis: Struggle for Life in the Wikisphere |first=Camille |last=Roth |conference=WikiSym '07 |date=October 21, 2007 |access-date=December 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225022130/https://www.patres-project.eu/images/4/47/ViableWikis.pdf |archive-date=December 25, 2016 |url-status=live}}

The image policies of Fandom communities tend to be more lenient than those of Wikimedia Foundation projects, allowing articles with much more illustration. Fandom requires all user text content to be published under a free license;{{Cite web|url=https://www.wikia.com/Licensing|title=Licensing|access-date=May 21, 2018|website=Fandom|publisher=Wikia, Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521040453/https://www.wikia.com/Licensing|archive-date=May 21, 2018|url-status=live}} most use the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, although a few wikis use a licence with a noncommercial clause (for instance Memory Alpha, Uncyclopedia and others{{Cite web |url=https://pvx.fandom.com/ |title=PvXwiki | Fandom |access-date=March 2, 2021 |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301153855/https://pvx-archive.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page |url-status=live}}) and some use the GNU Free Documentation License.{{efn|name="test"|Most content on Wikia was licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License until June 19, 2009, at which point most wikis were relicensed to CC BY-SA.}}{{Cite web |url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Forum:Licensing_update_June_19,_2009 |title=Licensing update June 19, 2009 |author=Beesley Starling, Angela |access-date=April 27, 2019 |website=Fandom Community Central |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427142851/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Forum:Licensing_update_June_19,_2009 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |url-status=live}} Fandom's terms of use forbid hate speech, libel, pornography, or copyright infringement. Other material is allowed, as long as the added material does not duplicate existing wikis.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fandom.com/community-creation-policy|title=Community Creation Policy|access-date=April 27, 2019|website=Fandom|publisher=Wikia, Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427142950/https://www.fandom.com/community-creation-policy|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}}

Wikis are also not owned by their founders, nor does the founder's opinion carry more weight in disagreements than any other user's opinion. Consensus and cooperation are the primary means for organizing a community on Fandom. However, Fandom may make decisions affecting the community even if there is no consensus at all.{{Cite web|title=Fandom network operations – a new concept to understand relations between Wikia staff and communities|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Thread:1237595|website=Fandom Community Central|date=May 2, 2017 |access-date=April 27, 2019|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427143109/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Thread:1237595|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}}

{{As of|2023|5|post=,}} Fandom uses a heavily modified version{{Cite web|last1=Garczewski|first1=Lucas|title=MediaWiki Upgrade|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:TOR/MediaWiki_Upgrade|website=Community Central Wikia|access-date=April 27, 2019|date=June 12, 2012|publisher=Wikia, Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427143252/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:TOR/MediaWiki_Upgrade|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}} of the MediaWiki software, based on the version 1.39 of MediaWiki.{{Cite web |title=Help:Update to MediaWiki 1.39 |url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Help:Update_to_MediaWiki_1.39 |website=Fandom Community Central |access-date=July 19, 2024}} It has several custom extensions installed to add social features like blogs, chat, badges, forums, and multimedia,{{Cite web|title=Tour of Wikia Features|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Tour_of_Fandom_Features|website=Community Central|access-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427143528/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Tour_of_Fandom_Features|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}} but also remove features like advanced user options{{Cite web|title=What happened to thumbnail image size in my preferences?|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Forum:What_happened_to_thumbnail_image_size_in_my_preferences%3F|website=Community Central Wikia|access-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131182310/https://community.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:What_happened_to_thumbnail_image_size_in_my_preferences|archive-date=January 31, 2016|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=UserPreferencesV2 extension code|url=https://github.com/Wikia/app/blob/54b4e97cf5ced52f43bca61eef02c84fa23d2b88/extensions/wikia/UserPreferencesV2/UserPreferencesV2.class.php|website=GitHub code repository|access-date=August 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130133959/https://github.com/Wikia/app/blob/54b4e97cf5ced52f43bca61eef02c84fa23d2b88/extensions/wikia/UserPreferencesV2/UserPreferencesV2.class.php|archive-date=January 30, 2016|url-status=live}} or skins. The personal choice{{Cite web|title=Wikia's new look – FAQ|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Archive:Wikia%27s_new_look_-_FAQ|website=Community Central Wikia|access-date=April 27, 2019|date=September 15, 2010|publisher=Wikia, Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613234244/https://community.wikia.com/wiki/Archive:Wikia%27s_new_look_-_FAQ|archive-date=June 13, 2018|url-status=live}} of using the Monobook skin instead of the default custom skin was removed on May 25, 2018, alluding to GDPR compliance.{{Cite web|last=Quievryn|first=Tim|title=The Future of Monobook on FANDOM|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Thread:1456214|access-date=April 27, 2019|date=May 21, 2018|website=Community Central|publisher=Wikia, Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427140514/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Thread:1456214|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}}

In August 2016, Fandom announced it would switch to a service-oriented architecture.{{Cite news|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:DaNASCAT/Introducing_Service-Oriented_Architecture,_A_New_Approach_to_Software_Development|title=Introducing Service-Oriented Architecture, A New Approach to Software Development|work=Community Central|access-date=April 27, 2019|language=en|last=Quievryn|first=Tim|publisher=Wikia, Inc.|date=August 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427144229/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:DaNASCAT/Introducing_Service-Oriented_Architecture,_A_New_Approach_to_Software_Development|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}} It removed many custom extensions and functionality for specific wikis, and has created certain replacement features to fill those needs.{{Cite news|url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:DaNASCAT/Introducing_New_Moderator_Opportunities_For_Community_Administration#Content_Moderators|title=Introducing New Moderator Opportunities For Community Administration|work=Community Central|access-date=April 27, 2019|last=Quievryn|first=Tim|language=en|date=January 13, 2016|publisher=Wikia, Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427144349/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/User_blog:DaNASCAT/Introducing_New_Moderator_Opportunities_For_Community_Administration|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}}

In 2016, Wikia launched Fandom, an online entertainment media website. The program utilizes volunteer contributors called "Fandom Contributors"{{Cite web|url=https://www.fandom.com/fan-contributor|title=Fan Contributor|website=Fandom|publisher=Wikia, Inc.|access-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427144813/https://www.fandom.com/fan-contributor?gh_jid=208408|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}} to produce articles, working alongside an editorial team employed by Wikia. In contrast to the blogging feature of individual wiki communities, Fandom focuses on pop culture and fan topics such as video games, movies, and television shows. The project features fan opinions, interviews with property creators, reviews, and how-to guides. Fandom also includes videos and specific news coverage sponsored or paid for by a property creator to promote their property.

In the same year, it was also announced that the entire Wikia platform would be rebranded under the Fandom name on October 4, 2016. A leak from Fandom's Community Council was posted to Reddit's /r/Wikia subreddit in August 2018, confirming that Fandom would be migrating all wikis from the wikia.com domain, to fandom.com in early 2019, as part of a push for greater adoption of Fandom's wiki-specific applications on both iOS and Android's app ecosystems. The post was later deleted.{{Cite web|url=https://removeddit.com/r/wikia/comments/96mz0x/wikia_will_be_changing_all_wiki_url_to_fandomcom/|title=Wikia will be changing ALL wiki URL to .fandom.com at the start of 2019|website=Reddit|access-date=August 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813043403/https://removeddit.com/r/wikia/comments/96mz0x/wikia_will_be_changing_all_wiki_url_to_fandomcom/|archive-date=August 13, 2018|url-status=live}}

Fandom has created several official partnerships to create wikis, vetted by the corporation as being the "official" encyclopedia or wiki of a property. In 2012, Fandom partnered with Sony Online Entertainment to create the first "Wikia Official Community" for PlanetSide 2, with the game's wiki slated to receive exclusive content and support.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mmorpg.com/mobile/news.cfm/read/25759/ismb/1/PlanetSide-2-SOE-Partners-with-Wikia-Command-Center-6-Released.html|title=MMORPG|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005122559/https://www.mmorpg.com/mobile/news.cfm/read/25759/ismb/1/PlanetSide-2-SOE-Partners-with-Wikia-Command-Center-6-Released.html|archive-date=October 5, 2016|url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Sony Online Entertainment Breaks New Ground With First 'Wikia Official Community' For Upcoming Massively Multiplayer Online First-Person Shooter Video Game PlanetSide®2 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2012/10/10/sony-online-entertainment-breaks-new-ground-with-first-wikia-official-community-for-upcoming-massively-multiplayer-online-firstperson-shooter-video-game-planetside2.html |website=CNBC |date=October 10, 2012 |access-date=28 January 2023 |language=en |archive-date=January 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128213450/https://www.cnbc.com/2012/10/10/sony-online-entertainment-breaks-new-ground-with-first-wikia-official-community-for-upcoming-massively-multiplayer-online-firstperson-shooter-video-game-planetside2.html |url-status=live}} In 2014, Fandom partnered with Roddenberry Enterprises to create the Trek Initiative, a Fandom hosted wiki community site that features video interviews, promotions, and other material about Star Trek to celebrate its 50th anniversary.{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/2014/07/31/trek-initiative-star-trek-50/#kLaSBwstIPq3|title=Mashable|website=Mashable|date=July 31, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005143232/https://mashable.com/2014/07/31/trek-initiative-star-trek-50/#kLaSBwstIPq3|archive-date=October 5, 2016|url-status=live}} Fandom made similar partnerships with 2K Games during the launch of Civilization: Beyond Earth{{cite press release|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2k-and-wikia-come-together-with-fan-studio-partnership-to-launch-civilization-beyond-earth-273170011.html|title=PR Newswire|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005121753/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2k-and-wikia-come-together-with-fan-studio-partnership-to-launch-civilization-beyond-earth-273170011.html|archive-date=October 5, 2016|url-status=live}} and Warner Bros Interactive for Shadow of Mordor.{{Cite web|url=https://shadowofwar.fandom.com/wiki/Shadow_of_War_Wiki|title=Shadow of Mordor Wiki|website=Shadow of Mordor Wiki|access-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427144937/https://shadowofwar.fandom.com/wiki/Shadow_of_War_Wiki|archive-date=April 27, 2019|url-status=live}} Fandom also has partnerships with Lionsgate Media to promote Starz and Film franchises through wiki content, fandom articles, and advertisements.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In 2021 the United States Navy hired Fandom to manage and promote esports tournaments and streams on Twitch.{{Cite web|last=Gault|first=Matthew|date=March 3, 2021|title=Navy Returns to Twitch, But You Can't Ask About War Crimes in Chat|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/navy-returns-to-twitch-but-you-cant-ask-about-war-crimes-in-chat/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-20|website=Vice|language=en|archive-date=July 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720223823/https://www.vice.com/en/article/akdpp5/navy-returns-to-twitch-but-you-cant-ask-about-war-crimes-in-chat}}

With Fandom's acquisition of Curse Media, the Curse Entertainment YouTube channel was renamed to Fandom Games. Fandom Games publishes Honest Game Trailers, which was previously published on the Smosh Games YouTube channel until Screen Junkies was acquired by Fandom.{{Cite web |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=2018-07-02 |title=Fandom Acquires Screen Junkies From Defy Media |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/fandom-acquires-screen-junkies-defy-media-1202863221/ |access-date=2023-04-17 |website=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=July 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204615/https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/fandom-acquires-screen-junkies-defy-media-1202863221/ |url-status=live}}

OpenServing was a short-lived Web publishing project owned by Fandom, founded on December 12, 2006,{{cite news |title=Wikipedia founder remakes Web-publishing economics |url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/software/2006-12-12-wiki-free-tools_x.htm?csp=34 |publisher=Reuters/USA Today |date=December 12, 2006 |access-date=October 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215211403/https://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/software/2006-12-12-wiki-free-tools_x.htm?csp=34 |archive-date=February 15, 2008 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2006/12/11/wikia-announces-free-wiki-hosting|title=Wikia Announces Free Wiki Hosting|publisher=TechCrunch|date=December 11, 2006|access-date=May 12, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515201458/https://www.techcrunch.com/2006/12/11/wikia-announces-free-wiki-hosting/|archive-date=May 15, 2008|url-status=live}} and abandoned, unannounced, in January 2008.{{Cite web |url=https://www.marsmag.com/?p=760 |title=Wikia's OpenServing Project Dies a Quiet Death |work=Mars Magazine |date=October 10, 2007 |access-date=May 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113150336/https://www.marsmag.com/?p=760 |archive-date=January 13, 2008 |url-status=live}} Like Fandom, OpenServing was to offer free wiki hosting, but it would differ in that each wiki's founder would retain any revenue gained from advertising on the site.{{cite news |title=Wikipedia to share collaborative software |url=https://hudsonriverseo.com/wikipedia-founder-to-give-away-free-software/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140528215709/https://hudsonriverseo.com/wikipedia-founder-to-give-away-free-software/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 28, 2014 |publisher=Daily Times |date=December 18, 2006 |access-date=May 28, 2014}}{{cite news |url=https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2006_Dec_11/ai_n16883902 |title=Wikia Unveils OpenServing – the Mother of All Freebies |publisher=Business Wire |date=December 11, 2006 |access-date=May 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231031904/https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2006_Dec_11/ai_n16883902 |archive-date=December 31, 2007 |url-status=live}} OpenServing used a modified version of the Wikimedia Foundation's MediaWiki software created by ArmchairGM, but was intended to branch out to other open source packages.{{cite news |url=https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmafp/is_200612/ai_n16941229 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231031854/https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmafp/is_200612/ai_n16941229 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-12-31 |title=Wikipedia founder to share collaborative software |publisher=AFP|date=December 2006}}

According to Fandom co-founder and chairman Jimmy Wales, the OpenServing site received several thousand applications in January 2007.{{cite news |title=Wikis can succeed on newspaper sites, claims Wikipedia founder |url=https://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/53151.php |publisher=Online Journalism News, Journalism.co.uk |date=January 19, 2007 |access-date=October 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231102427/https://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/53151.php |archive-date=December 31, 2007 |url-status=dead}} However, after a year, no sites had been launched under the OpenServing banner.

ArmchairGM was a sports forum and wiki site created by Aaron Wright, Dan Lewis, Robert Lefkowitz, and developer David Pean. Launched in early 2006, the site was initially US-based but sought to improve its links to sports associated with Britain over its first year. Its MediaWiki-based software included a Digg-style article-voting mechanism, blog-like comment forms with "thumbs up/down" user feedback, and the ability to write multiple types of posts (news, opinions, or "locker room" discussion entries).{{Citation needed|date=November 2015}}

In late 2006, the site was bought by Fandom for $2 million.{{cite news |title=Amazon puts faith – and money – in Wikia |author=Blitstein, Ryan |date=December 6, 2006|url = https://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/16181879.htm |work = MercuryNews.com |access-date = February 18, 2007|archive-date=January 5, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070105151438/https://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/16181879.htm}} After the purchase was made, the former owners applied ArmchairGM's architecture to other Fandom sites.{{Cite web|url = https://www.wikia.com/wiki/Wikia_opens_new_%22magazine_rack%22_websites |title = Wikia opens new "magazine rack" websites|date = February 13, 2007|publisher = Wikia, Inc. |url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080512152638/https://www.wikia.com/wiki/Wikia_opens_new_%22magazine_rack%22_websites |archive-date = May 12, 2008}} However, Wikia had "dropped support" for the custom software innovations by ArmchairGM by January 2010. From September 2010 to February 2011, Fandom absorbed ArmchairGM's encyclopedia articles and blanked all of its old blog entries, effectively discontinuing ArmchairGM in its original form.{{Citation needed|date=February 2015}}

The software powering ArmchairGM was incrementally open-sourced starting in February 2008 with the public release of the SocialProfile MediaWiki extension.{{Cite web |title = [Wikitech-l] Extension:SocialProfile |url = https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/PWDR6EXSSNHR5WUY5MSXBM276PWCDHRY/ |date = February 29, 2008 |author = Pean, David |access-date = June 3, 2022 |archive-date = March 23, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230323063731/https://lists.wikimedia.org/hyperkitty/list/wikitech-l@lists.wikimedia.org/message/PWDR6EXSSNHR5WUY5MSXBM276PWCDHRY/ |url-status = live}} This process was complete by August 2011, when the original ArmchairGM codebase (internally codenamed wikia-ny{{Cite web |url = https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/diffusion/AMGM/ |title = ArmchairGM source code |access-date = June 3, 2022 |archive-date = May 17, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210517120354/https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/diffusion/AMGM/ |url-status = live}}) was released in full. Since 2008 the ArmchairGM innovations, nicknamed "social tools", have been developed by volunteer developers of the MediaWiki community and they are available under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later, which is a free and open-source software license. The source code is hosted on the Wikimedia Foundation's web servers and mirrored to the popular source code hosting platform GitHub.{{Cite web |url = https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Social_tools |title = Social tools |access-date = June 3, 2022 |archive-date = June 17, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220617081820/https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Social_tools |url-status = live}}{{Cite web |url = https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/diffusion/ESPR/browse/master/README |title = SocialProfile MediaWiki extension README file |access-date = June 3, 2022 |archive-date = March 23, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230323063731/https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/diffusion/ESPR/browse/master/README |url-status = live}}

Wikia, Inc. initially proposed creating a copyleft search engine; the software (but not the site) was named "Wikiasari" by a November 2004 naming contest.{{efn|The name was derived from the Hawaiian word for "quick" and asari, stem of the Japanese verb asaru, "to rummage".{{cite news |last1=Cashmore |first1=Pete |title=Wikiasari – Wikipedia Founder Launching a Google Rival |url=https://mashable.com/archive/wikiasari-wikipedia-founder-launching-a-google-rival |work=Mashable |date=December 23, 2006 |access-date=February 8, 2022 |archive-date=February 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208054919/https://mashable.com/archive/wikiasari-wikipedia-founder-launching-a-google-rival |url-status=live}}}} The proposal became inactive in 2005.{{Citation needed|date=February 2015}} The "public alpha" of the Wikia Search web search engine was launched on January 7, 2008,{{Citation needed|date=February 2015}} from the USSHC underground data center.{{Cite web |url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2008/01/06/wikia-search-launches-from-iowa-data-bunker |title=Wikia Search Launches From Iowa Data Bunker |first=Rich |last=Miller |publisher=Data Center Knowledge |access-date=April 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100511031937/https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2008/01/06/wikia-search-launches-from-iowa-data-bunker/ |archive-date=May 11, 2010 |url-status=live |date=2008-01-07}} This roll-out version of the search interface was roundly panned by reviewers in technology media.{{Cite web |url=https://www.salon.com/2008/01/07/search_wikia |title=Wikipedia founder's search engine gets bad reviews |author=Manjoo, Farhad |work=Salon.com |date=January 7, 2008 |access-date=January 7, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423210107/https://www.salon.com/2008/01/07/search_wikia/ |archive-date=April 23, 2012 |url-status=dead}}

The project was ended in March 2009.{{Cite web |url=https://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10207896-2.html |title=Wales giving up on Wikia Search |work=Webware |first=Rafe |last=Needleman |publisher=CNet |date=March 31, 2009 |access-date=July 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403050328/https://news.cnet.com//8301-17939_109-10207896-2.html |archive-date=April 3, 2009 |url-status=live}} Late in 2009, a new search engine was established to index and display results from all sites hosted on Fandom.{{Citation needed|date=February 2015}}

In January 2009, the company created a question and answer website named "Wikianswers" (not to be confused with the preexisting WikiAnswers).{{Cite web |last=Schonfeld |first=Erick |date=January 31, 2009 |title=Jimmy Wales Quietly Launches Wikianswers |url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/01/31/jimmy-wales-quietly-launches-wikianswers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304212742/https://www.techcrunch.com/2009/01/31/jimmy-wales-quietly-launches-wikianswers/ |archive-date=March 4, 2009 |access-date=July 17, 2009 |publisher=Techcrunch.com}} In March 2010, Fandom re-launched "Answers from Wikia", where users could create topic-specialized knowledge market wikis based upon Fandom's own Wikianswers subdomain.{{Cite web |date=March 17, 2010 |title=Free wiki hosting company Wikia to let you create your own question and answer sites |url=https://venturebeat.com/2010/03/16/free-wiki-hosting-company-wikia-to-let-you-create-your-own-question-and-answer-sites/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330135124/https://digital.venturebeat.com/2010/03/16/free-wiki-hosting-company-wikia-to-let-you-create-your-own-question-and-answer-sites/ |archive-date=March 30, 2010 |access-date=December 3, 2011 |publisher=Digital.venturebeat.com}}

{{primary sources section|date=July 2023}} In the 2000s, Fandom, then called Wikia, was accused of unduly profiting from a perceived association with Wikipedia.[https://techcrunch.com/2007/04/28/wikipedia-special-treatment-for-wikia-and-other-wikis/ "Wikipedia: Special Treatment for Wikia and some other Wikis"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803102609/https://techcrunch.com/2007/04/28/wikipedia-special-treatment-for-wikia-and-other-wikis/ |date=August 3, 2017}}. TechCrunch. April 28, 2007.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.de/shift-living-in-the-digital-age-2012-09-25/e-16209984-9799|title=Living in the Digital Age – Shift – DW (Arabia) – 25.09.12 – DW.DE|work=DW.DE|access-date=December 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808030312/https://www.dw.de/shift-living-in-the-digital-age-2012-09-25/e-16209984-9799|archive-date=August 8, 2014|url-status=dead}} Although Fandom has been referred to in the media as "the commercial counterpart to the non-profit Wikipedia",{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUST34811320070309 |title=Wikipedia founder says to challenge Google, Yahoo |date=March 9, 2007 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=July 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220102437/https://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUST34811320070309 |archive-date=December 20, 2008 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6171399.stm |title=Community websites take wiki path |date=December 12, 2006 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |access-date=February 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080311042530/https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6171399.stm |archive-date=March 11, 2008 |url-status=live}} Wikimedia{{Cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Wikia,_Inc._is_not_the_commercial_counterpart_to_Wikipedia_or_the_Wikimedia_Foundation |title=Wikia, Inc. is not the commercial counterpart to Wikipedia or the Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=February 26, 2008 |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125084222/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/Wikia%2C_Inc._is_not_the_commercial_counterpart_to_Wikipedia_or_the_Wikimedia_Foundation |archive-date=November 25, 2011 |url-status=live}} and Fandom staff{{Cite web |url=https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Help:Wikimedia?oldid=916096 |title=Wikimedia |access-date=April 27, 2019 |publisher=Wikia, Inc. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427145537/https://community.fandom.com/wiki/Community_Central:What_FANDOM_is_not?oldid=916096 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |url-status=live}} call this description inaccurate.

In 2006, the Wikimedia Foundation shared hosting and bandwidth costs with Wikia, and received some donated office space from Wikia during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006. At the end of the fiscal year 2007, Wikia owed the foundation $6,000. In June 2007, two members of the foundation's board of directors also served as employees, officers, or directors of Wikia.[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/49/Wikimedia_2007_fs.pdf Wikimedia Foundation 2006-2007 Audit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217010131/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/foundation/4/49/Wikimedia_2007_fs.pdf |date=February 17, 2008}} page 9 says "The Organization shared hosting and bandwidth costs with Wikia, Inc., a for-profit company founded by the same founder as Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Included in accounts receivable at June 30, 2007, is $6,000 due from Wikia, Inc. for these costs. The organization received some donated office space from Wikia Inc. during the year ended June 30, 2006, valued at $6,000. No donation of the office space occurred in 2007. Through June 30, 2007, two members of the organization's board of directors also serve as employees, officers, or directors of Wikia, Inc." In January 2009, Wikia subleased two conference rooms to the Wikimedia Foundation for the Wikipedia Usability Initiative.{{Cite web |url=https://blog.wikimedia.org/2009/01/21/a-note-on-the-wikipedia-usability-initiative/ |title=A note on the Wikipedia Usability Initiative |publisher=Blog.wikimedia.org |date=January 21, 2009 |access-date=July 17, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906230450/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2009/01/21/a-note-on-the-wikipedia-usability-initiative/ |archive-date=September 6, 2009 |url-status=live}} According to a 2009 email by Erik Möller, deputy director of the Wikimedia Foundation:

We obtained about a dozen bids... We used averaging as a way to arrive at a fair market rate to neither advantage nor disadvantage Wikia when suggesting a rate. The averaging also resulted in a rate that was roughly equivalent to the most comparable space in the running.{{Cite web |url=https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049360.html |title=Foundation-l: Wikia leasing office space to WMF |publisher=Lists.wikimedia.org |date=2009-01-23 |access-date=2009-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140621224834/https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2009-January/049360.html |archive-date=June 21, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}

Fandom communities have complained of inappropriate advertisements, resource-intensive advertisements, or advertising in the body text area. Users have also complained that the advertisements are so resource-intensive and hindering, that they have no choice but to use an ad-blocker to continue using the website.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/sep/25/wikipedia.internet |title=Read me first: Wikipedia isn't about human potential, whatever Wales says |author=Finkelstein, Seth |work=The Guardian |date=September 25, 2008 |location=London |access-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080927064014/https://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/sep/25/wikipedia.internet |archive-date=September 27, 2008 |url-status=live}}

In June 2023, McDonald's paid Fandom an undisclosed amount to temporarily replace the McDonald's Wiki's main page and exhaustive article on Grimace with an advertisement promoting the Grimace Shake and the character's 52nd anniversary. The article's primary contributor, Nathan Steinmetz, complained that the decision undermined his research and efforts and considered Fandom to have set a "really bad precedent" of IP holders' ability to suppress user-generated content with press releases.{{Cite web |last=Dodgson |first=Lindsay |title=McDonald's upset a Grimace superfan by replacing his exhaustive wiki page for the character with an ad |url=https://www.insider.com/grimace-superfan-upset-by-characters-mcdonalds-wiki-page-becoming-ad-2023-6 |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=Insider |language=en-US |archive-date=September 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909092015/https://www.insider.com/grimace-superfan-upset-by-characters-mcdonalds-wiki-page-becoming-ad-2023-6 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=2023-06-19 |title=McDonalds & Fandom Replaced A Wiki Page With An Advertisement |url=https://kotaku.com/mcdonalds-grimace-wiki-ad-happy-meal-fandom-history-1850552640 |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=July 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716154620/https://kotaku.com/mcdonalds-grimace-wiki-ad-happy-meal-fandom-history-1850552640 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |first=Izzatul |last=Razali |date=2023-06-20 |title=Man Behind Grimace's Wiki Page Gets Upset As Page Is Replaced by McDonald's Ads |url=https://sea.ign.com/mcdonalds-1/200938/news/man-behind-grimaces-wiki-page-gets-upset-as-page-is-replaced-by-mcdonalds-ads |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=IGN Southeast Asia |language=en-sg |archive-date=July 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717002540/https://sea.ign.com/mcdonalds-1/200938/news/man-behind-grimaces-wiki-page-gets-upset-as-page-is-replaced-by-mcdonalds-ads |url-status=live}}

A number of wikis have migrated away from Fandom, citing issues such as intrusive advertising and branding, a non-user-friendly site design, a lack of customizability and company cross-promotion which is often irrelevant to wiki content.{{Cite web |last=Jackson |first=Gita |date=September 28, 2018 |title=Video Game Wikis Abandon Their Platform After Year Of Problems |url=https://kotaku.com/video-game-wikis-abandon-their-platform-after-year-of-p-1829401866 |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=Kotaku |archive-date=November 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101105123/https://kotaku.com/video-game-wikis-abandon-their-platform-after-year-of-p-1829401866 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Stanton |first=Rich |date=October 4, 2023 |title=Minecraft wiki completes exit from Fandom, gets ready to fight its own zombified corpse |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-wiki-completes-exit-from-fandom-gets-ready-to-fight-its-own-zombified-corpse/ |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=PC Gamer |archive-date=October 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023000714/https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-wiki-completes-exit-from-fandom-gets-ready-to-fight-its-own-zombified-corpse/ |url-status=live}} Other communities, such as the Zelda Wiki and Minecraft Wiki, have named the increasing "corporate consolidation" of wikis, alleged censorship, Fandom's "degraded" functionality and the Grimace controversy among their reasons for migrating.{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Dustin |date=October 21, 2022 |title=The biggest Zelda wiki goes independent to fight "corporate consolidation," urging others to follow suit |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-biggest-zelda-wiki-goes-independent-to-fight-corporate-consolidation-urging-others-to-follow-suit/ |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=GamesRadar+ |archive-date=December 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212222930/https://www.gamesradar.com/the-biggest-zelda-wiki-goes-independent-to-fight-corporate-consolidation-urging-others-to-follow-suit/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Winslow |first=Levi |date=October 21, 2022 |title=Massive Zelda Wiki Reclaims Independence Six Months Before Tears of the Kingdom |url=https://kotaku.com/zelda-wiki-fandom-tears-of-kingdom-botw-2-nintendo-1849688629 |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=Kotaku |archive-date=November 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111065754/https://kotaku.com/zelda-wiki-fandom-tears-of-kingdom-botw-2-nintendo-1849688629 |url-status=live}} Covering the Minecraft Wiki's departure for PC Gamer, Rich Stanton stated that most of the migrations began after the 2018 acquisition and Gamepedia's move to Fandom. He noted that the Minecraft Wiki would have to compete with Fandom's better search engine optimization (SEO) and would have a struggle to establish a wider audience after moving. In 2023, Fandom CEO Perkins Miller told The Verge that he takes wiki migration "very seriously".{{Cite web |last=Patel |first=Nilay |author-link=Nilay Patel |date=August 23, 2023 |title=Fandom runs some of the biggest communities on the internet — can CEO Perkins Miller keep them happy? |url=https://www.theverge.com/23841327/fandom-wikia-perkins-miller-ads-ai-community-passion |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=The Verge |quote=I’m actively engaged. I take it very seriously. I work very hard every day to try to make sure that we build a good platform that people can use, that’s stable and has great tools. And I think we’re someplace that I think is really community-focused, and I think we’ve got the right values. So I really take it seriously if a community says, “Look, we’re going to go somewhere else.” |archive-date=October 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006083221/https://www.theverge.com/23841327/fandom-wikia-perkins-miller-ads-ai-community-passion |url-status=live}}

Some of the more high-profile wikis which have migrated from Fandom include the RuneScape wiki in 2018, the Zelda and Terraria wikis in 2022,{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Dustin |date=March 14, 2022 |title=The official Terraria wiki is no longer official |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/terraria/wiki |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=PCGamesN |archive-date=November 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101083620/https://www.pcgamesn.com/terraria/wiki |url-status=live}} the Minecraft, Fallout and Hollow Knight wikis in 2023,{{Cite web |last=Stanton |first=Rich |date=July 11, 2023 |title=Official Minecraft wiki editors so furious at Fandom's 'degraded' functionality and popups they're overwhelmingly voting to leave the site |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/official-minecraft-wiki-editors-so-furious-at-fandoms-degraded-functionality-and-popups-theyre-overwhelmingly-voting-to-leave-the-site/ |access-date=November 1, 2023 |website=PC Gamer |archive-date=July 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715185657/https://www.pcgamer.com/official-minecraft-wiki-editors-so-furious-at-fandoms-degraded-functionality-and-popups-theyre-overwhelmingly-voting-to-leave-the-site/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Ali |date=2023-11-01 |title=Hollow Knight Silksong community follows WoW, Minecraft, and Fallout as it abandons its wiki over advertising frustrations |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/hollow-knight-silksong-community-follows-wow-minecraft-and-fallout-as-it-abandons-its-wiki-over-advertising-frustrations/ |access-date=2023-11-06 |website=GamesRadar+ |language=en |archive-date=November 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107014632/https://www.gamesradar.com/hollow-knight-silksong-community-follows-wow-minecraft-and-fallout-as-it-abandons-its-wiki-over-advertising-frustrations/ |url-status=live}} the South Park and League of Legends wikis in 2024,{{Cite web |last=Beschizza |first=Rob |date=2024-10-10 |title= Fan wikis wanting to escape the Fandom/Wikia sinkhole have a new ally |url= https://boingboing.net/2024/10/10/fan-wikis-wanting-to-escape-the-fandom-wikia-sinkhole-have-a-new-ally.html/amp |access-date=2024-10-11 |website=BoingBoing |language=en }} and the Warframe{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}, Vampire Survivors, and Undertale/Deltarune wikis in 2025.{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Dustin |date=March 13, 2025 |title=Vampire Survivors devs launch official wiki "free of ads, banners, and all of the junk that gets in your way," joining Stardew Valley and Terraria in community wikis with minimal intrusions |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/roguelike/vampire-survivors-devs-launch-official-wiki-free-of-ads-banners-and-all-of-the-junk-that-gets-in-your-way-joining-stardew-valley-and-terraria-in-community-wikis-with-minimal-intrusions/ |website=GamesRadar+ |language=en |accessdate=March 14, 2025}} Some wikis have received support from the creators of their topic areas during migration.

There is no easy way for individual communities to switch to conventional paid hosting, as Fandom usually owns the relevant domain names. When a community leaves Fandom for new hosting, Fandom typically continues to operate the abandoned ("forked") wiki using its original name and content for advertising revenue as long as editing and viewership remains. This can adversely affect the new wiki's search rankings,{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/jul/31/wikipedia |title=How will Wikia cope when the workers all quit the plantation? |author=Finkelstein, Seth |work=The Guardian |date=July 31, 2008 |location=London |access-date=December 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201182031/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2008/jul/31/wikipedia |archive-date=December 1, 2016 |url-status=live}} potentially also resulting in outdated or incorrect information being present and viewed more often than the information on the new wiki. Fandom allows only a message directing viewers to a discussion about whether to fork for as long as the discussion is active before the message is removed, and any administrators involved in the new wiki have their rights on the Fandom wiki removed.

File:Hallidie Building in San Francisco dllu.jpg in San Francisco, current Fandom headquarters]]

The overall parent company, Fandom, Inc., is headquartered at the Hallidie Building on 130 Sutter Street{{Cite web |title=Privacy Policy |url=https://www.fandom.com/privacy-policy |access-date=2022-04-03 |publisher=Fandom |archive-date=April 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404022915/https://www.fandom.com/privacy-policy |url-status=live}} in San Francisco, California.{{Cite web |url=https://www.siliconvalleywire.com/svw/2006/12/san_mateobased_.html |title=San Mateo-Based Wikia Lands Investment from Amazon.com |publisher=Silicon Valley Wire |date=December 6, 2006 |access-date=March 8, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927142445/https://www.siliconvalleywire.com/svw/2006/12/san_mateobased_.html |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead}}; California Business Portal, [https://kepler.sos.ca.gov/corpdata/ShowAllList?QueryCorpNumber=C2935209 Agent for service of process address] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723060932/https://kepler.sos.ca.gov/corpdata/ShowAllList?QueryCorpNumber=C2935209 |date=July 23, 2012}}; Go Daddy, [https://who.godaddy.com/WhoIs.aspx?domain=wikia.com&prog_id=godaddy Registered domain address]{{Dead link|date=October 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}. The company was incorporated in Florida in December 2004 and re-incorporated in Delaware as Wikia, Inc. on January 10, 2006.{{Cite web|website = Division of Corporations|publisher = Florida Department of State|title = Detail by Entity Name Florida Profit Corporation WIKIA, INC.|date = December 21, 2004|url = https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail?inquirytype=EntityName&directionType=Initial&searchNameOrder=WIKIA%20P040001704210&aggregateId=domp-p04000170421-ed35aa09-0dc2-47f5-8890-025ee3b60057&searchTerm=Wikia&listNameOrder=WIKIA%20F060000003040|access-date = December 29, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211230023739/https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail?inquirytype=EntityName&directionType=Initial&searchNameOrder=WIKIA+P040001704210&aggregateId=domp-p04000170421-ed35aa09-0dc2-47f5-8890-025ee3b60057&searchTerm=Wikia&listNameOrder=WIKIA+F060000003040|archive-date = December 30, 2021}}

Fandom has technical staff in the US, but also has an office in Poznań, Poland, where the primary engineering functions are performed.

Fandom derives income from advertising. The company initially used Google AdSense{{cite news |url=https://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2006/08/30/PM200608305.html |title=For-profit wiki |work=Marketplace |author1=Lashinksy, Adam |author2=Scott, Jagon |date=August 30, 2006 |access-date=June 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807140238/https://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2006/08/30/PM200608305.html |archive-date=August 7, 2008 |url-status=dead}} but moved on to Federated Media before bringing ad management in-house.{{Cite web |url=https://community.wikia.com/wiki/Community_Central:Advertising_on_Wikia?oldid=120627 |title=Community Central:Advertising on Wikia |date=January 8, 2008 |access-date=February 9, 2010 |website=Community Central |publisher=Wikia, Inc. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522041401/https://community.wikia.com/wiki/Community_Central:Advertising_on_Wikia?oldid=120627 |archive-date=May 22, 2018 |url-status=live}} Alongside Fandom's in-house advertising, they continue to use AdSense as well as Amazon Ads and several other third-party advertising services. Fandom also gains income from various partnerships oriented around various sweepstake sponsorships on related wikis.

Fandom has several other offices.{{Cite web|url = https://www.wikia.com/about|title = About|access-date = May 21, 2018|website = Fandom|publisher = Wikia, Inc.|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180521035157/https://www.wikia.com/about|archive-date = May 21, 2018|url-status = live|df = mdy-all}} International operations are based in Germany, and Asian operations and sales are conducted in Tokyo. Other sales offices are located in Chicago, Latin America, Los Angeles (marketing programming and content), New York City, and London.{{Cite press release|title=Wikia, Inc.'s Fandom Announces Investment Led by Media Veteran Jon Miller|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wikia-incs-fandom-announces-investment-led-by-media-veteran-jon-miller-300600947.html|access-date=2021-08-08|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en|archive-date=May 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504094118/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wikia-incs-fandom-announces-investment-led-by-media-veteran-jon-miller-300600947.html|url-status=live}}

• Comparison of wiki hosting services

{{Notelist}}

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{{reflist}}

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