Mr. Jonathan Awde reports

GOLD STANDARD ANNOUNCES US$ 25.8 MILLION 2018 DEVELOPMENT AND EXPLORATION PROGRAM FOR THE RAILROAD PROJECT, CARLIN TREND, NEVADA

Gold Standard Ventures Corp. has released plans for the 2018 development and exploration program on its 100-per-cent-owned/controlled Railroad-Pinion project in Nevada's Carlin trend. The $25.8-million (U.S.) program includes an estimated 74,800 metres of reverse circulation (RC) and core drilling in 381 holes. Infill and development work at Dark Star and Pinion is expected to account for approximately 40,800 m of drilling in 296 holes while exploration should add another 34,000 m of drilling in 85 holes.

The 2018 program objectives are: infill and development drilling at the Dark Star and Pinion oxide gold deposits to reduce drill spacing to approximately 30 m and convert resources to the measured and indicated categories; exploration drilling at Jasperoid Wash to reduce drill spacings and provide requisite data for a maiden resource estimate by the end of 2018; and drilling to test new high-value targets at Dixie, the Dark Star corridor, Ski Track and elsewhere within the Railroad district. Financing for this program was obtained in a private placement and public offering financing dated Feb. 22, 2018, and financing from a previous financing dated Oct. 28, 2016.

Jonathan Awde, chief executive officer and director of Gold Standard, commented: "This year's program is designed to add maximum value to the Railroad project for our shareholders. We expect to achieve significant resource growth while also reducing risk and establishing the outstanding economic potential of the oxide gold deposits we have discovered and developed. We also expect to make further new discoveries, as we have each of the last five years."

Key highlights for 2018 include:

Development:

• At the Dark Star deposit, the company will complete up to 171 infill RC and core holes (approximately 24,800 m) to reduce drill spacing to approximately 30 m in critical portions of the deposit and to provide additional core for metallurgical testing. Initial 2017 infill drilling in the northern portion of Dark Star intersected 237.8 m of 2.96 grams per tonne gold, including 93.0 m of 5.06 g/t Au in DS17-35 and 141.8 m of 3.32 g/t Au, including 25.9 m of 8.63 g/t Au in DS17-37 (see Jan. 23, 2018). Results from both drill holes substantially outperformed the resource block model based on three criteria: mineralization begins at or near the current topographic surface, which is shallower than predicted by the model; higher average gold grades; and gold mineralization extends 35 to 42 m below the resource block model.
• At the Pinion deposit, the company will complete up to 104 infill RC and core holes (approximately 10,600 m) to reduce drill spacing to approximately 30 m in critical portions of the deposit and to provide additional core for metallurgical testing.
• A preliminary economic assessment for the Dark Star and Pinion resources is scheduled for completion during the second half of 2018. In advance of the PEA, new resource estimates will be completed at Dark Star and Pinion.
• Complete approximately 5,400 m of drilling in 21 drill holes for geotechnical and hydrological characterization studies at Dark Star and Pinion.

District exploration:

• At the Jasperoid Wash target, the company will complete about 13,000 m of RC and core drilling in at least 30 holes to expand areas of known shallow oxide gold mineralization, reduce drill spacing to approximately 100 m, provide core for metallurgical testing and test new targets. This work is expected to yield this deposit's first resource estimate. Drilling will follow up on 2017 drilling results of 103.7 m of 0.56 g/t Au including 30.5 m of 0.93 g/t Au in JW17-01 (see Oct. 5, 2017, news release); 54.9 m of 0.89 g/t Au including 12.2 m of 1.66 g/t Au in JW17-04, 30.5 m of 0.73 g/t Au in JW17-08 and 77.7 m of 0.48 g/t Au in JW17-10 (see Jan. 11, 2018, news release). Current drilling by Gold Standard and historical drilling by Westmont drilling have outlined a zone approximately 750 m long (striking north-northeast) by 350 m wide (east-west) of near-surface, shallow, oxide gold mineralization that remains open in all directions. Results to date are reminiscent of early-stage drill results at Dark Star in 2015.
• At the Dixie and Dark Star corridor targets, the company will drill up to 27 RC and core holes (about 11,100 m). Both targets appear to have substantial new resource potential. Based on previous drilling, gold mineralization at Dixie extends for approximately 2,000 m (north-south) by 450 m (east-west), and it remains open in multiple directions. Drilling in 2018 will continue to test targets south of Dixie within the Dark Star corridor, and also to the west where favourable Penn-Perm carbonate rocks are altered, folded and crosscut by faults and igneous dikes.
• At the Ski Track target, three km northwest of Jasperoid Wash, early stage geologic mapping along a north-northwest-striking structural corridor has identified altered carbonate rocks that are similar to the Pennsylvanian-Permian rocks that host gold mineralization at Jasperoid Wash and Dark Star. Detailed mapping, follow-up sampling and CSAMT are planned to define drill targets. Up to 16 RC scout holes (about 3,900 m) are allocated for Ski Track.
• The company plans to complete up to 12 holes (approximately 6,000 m) at the Dark Star and East Graben to test targets defined by gravity, CSAMT and seismic interpretations between the Pinion and Dark Star deposits.
• The company plans to complete two east-west seismic lines at North Bullion to refine subsurface geology and identify targets north and west of the current resource. Results of this program may lead to mud rotary scout drilling in the fall of 2018.

Royalty buydown and environmental permitting:

• Approximately $3.5-million (U.S.) will be used to buy down a strategic net smelter royalty (NSR) from 5 per cent to 2 per cent. The NSR covers portions of the Dark Star and Pinion gold deposits.
• About $870,000 (U.S.) will be allocated to continuing environmental studies, monitoring and permitting in the greater Dark Star and Pinion area.

Mac Jackson, Gold Standard's vice-president of exploration, stated: "We are looking forward to starting our 2018 program and picking up where we left off in 2017 with our best oxide intercepts to date at Dark Star and Jasperoid Wash. Our primary goal is to add to our oxide resources and push them toward development. We'll also advance new targets through early stage geologic work to drilling, as we work to make the next discovery on our 80-square-mile Railroad-Pinion property on the prolific Carlin trend."

Sampling methodology, chain of custody, quality control and quality assurance

All sampling was conducted under the supervision of the company's project geologists and the chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility was continuously monitored. A blank or certified reference material was inserted approximately every 10th sample. The RC samples were delivered to either ALS Minerals or Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories preparation facility in Elko, Nev., where they were crushed and pulverized. Resulting sample pulps were shipped to either ALS Minerals or Bureau Veritas certified laboratory in Sparks, Nev., or Vancouver, B.C. Pulps were digested and analyzed for gold using fire assay fusion and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish on a 30-gram split. All other elements were determined by ICP (inductively coupled plasma) analysis. Data verification of the analytical results included a statistical analysis of the standards and blanks that must pass certain parameters for acceptance to ensure accurate and verifiable results.

Drill hole deviation was measured by gyroscopic downhole surveys that were completed on all holes by International Directional Services or Minex of Elko, Nev. Final collar locations are surveyed by differential GPS (global positioning system) by Apex Surveying LLC of Spring Creek, Nev.

The scientific and technical content contained in this news release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Steven R. Koehler, Gold Standard's manager of projects, BSc, geology, and CPG-10216, a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Gold Standard Ventures Corp.

Gold Standard is an advanced-stage gold exploration company focused on district scale discoveries on its Railroad-Pinion gold project, located within the prolific Carlin trend. The 2014 Pinion and Dark Star gold deposit acquisitions offer Gold Standard a potential near-term development option and further consolidate the company's premier land package on the Carlin trend. The Pinion deposit has a mineral resource estimate prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 -- Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects consisting of an indicated mineral resource of 31.61 million tonnes grading 0.62 gram per tonne Au, totalling 630,300 ounces of gold, and an inferred mineral resource of 61.08 million tonnes grading 0.55 g/t Au, totalling 1,081,300 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.14 g/t Au. The Dark Star deposit, 2.1 kilometres to the east of Pinion, has a mineral resource estimate prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 consisting of an indicated mineral resource of 15.38 million tonnes grading 0.54 g/t Au, totalling 265,100 ounces of gold, and an inferred mineral resource of 17.05 million tonnes grading 1.31 g/t Au, totalling 715,800 ounces of gold, using a cut-off grade of 0.2 g Au/t.

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