Mr. Jonathan Awde reports

GOLD STANDARD STEP OUT AND INFILL DRILLING INTERSECTS MORE THICK INTERVALS OF OXIDE GOLD AT DARK STAR

Gold Standard Ventures Corp. has released more impressive results from two reverse circulation (RC) holes and four core holes at the Dark Star deposit on its 100-per-cent-owned/controlled Railroad-Pinion project in Nevada's Carlin trend. With this news release, results have now been reported for 128 of the 136 holes that have been completed at Dark Star.

Two holes in the northern portion of Dark Star intersected vertically continuous zones of oxidized gold mineralization including 33.5 metres of 2.33 grams per tonne gold in DR18-109 and 109.8 m of 1.00 g/t Au in DR18-110 (refer to Dark Star drill hole plan and section maps at the company's website). These results continue to confirm oxide gold resource potential below the depth of the current resource model as well as potential to expand the resource laterally in multiple directions.

The current expanded development drilling program announced on Sept. 20, 2018, consists of approximately 5,400 m of additional RC drilling in 17 holes to test new targets at depth below the current resource model, and 18 additional holes to test the potential for further lateral resource expansion to the north, west and south of the current resource. Seven of these drill holes have been completed.

Jonathan Awde, chief executive officer and director of Gold Standard, commented: "Dark Star continues to grow both laterally and at depth. As the deposit continues to expand, we are seeing important opportunities to improve and optimize our potential development path. Perhaps most important, we are now routinely seeing significant widths of oxide material grading above two grams per tonne. We expect these types of grades will give us more opportunities as we continue along our potential development path."

Key highlights from Dark Star:

• DR18-109 stepped out to the north of Dark Star and intersected two zones of oxide mineralization: an upper near-surface zone of 18.3 m of 1.13 g/t Au, including 6.1 m of 2.96 g/t Au; and a lower zone of 33.5 m of 2.33 g/t Au, including 15.2 m of 4.24 g/t Au. Mineralization extends approximately 30 m below the current resource model and remains open to the west and north.
• In the northern portion of Dark Star, RC hole DR18-110 intersected an oxidized interval of 109.7 m of 1.00 g/t Au, including separate intervals of 24.4 m of 2.05 g/t Au and 13.7 m of 1.25 g/t Au. Mineralization extends approximately 25 m below the current resource model and remains open to the west, east and north. Below the oxide mineralization, the hole intersected a reduced (sulphidic) zone of 12.2 m of 3.94 g/t Au.
• Based on the reduced intercepts in 14 drill holes, the company can now see a large sulphide target emerging below the thick, vertically continuous zones of oxide mineralization in the northern portion of Dark Star. The known dimensions of this zone of reduced mineralization are approximately 300 m (north-south) by 90 m (east-west). Some drill hole examples include: 16.8 m of 3.66 g/t Au in DC18-22 (see Oct. 16, 2018, news release); in 10.7 m of 5.85 g/t Au in DR18-70 and 27.4 m of 2.28 g/t Au in DR18-104 (see Sept. 24, 2018, news release).
• DC18-23, a stepout core hole in the southern portion of Dark Star, intersected 45.1 m of 1.16 g/t Au, including 10.7 m of 2.61 g/t Au. Oxide mineralization begins at the current topographic surface, it remains open in multiple directions and the intercept extends the gold grade in the current resource model. DC18-23 is approximately 240 m south of DC18-17 which intersected 76.6 m of 0.47 g/t Au, and 60 m east of DC18-18 which intersected 15.2 m of 0.38 g/t Au (see Sept. 24, 2018, news release). Collectively, this new opportunity to expand the resource is coincident with an undrilled surface outcrop rock chip anomaly south of the known deposit. Additional drilling is planned for this area over the next few weeks.
• DC18-04, DC18-06 and DC18-08 were geotechnical core holes drilled away from the resource into the proposed west and east high walls, to confirm geotechnical parameters in the proposed open-pit high wall. Gold mineralization was not expected in these drill holes.
• Currently five drill rigs are active on site testing the following: new targets at depth below the Dark Star current resource model, and lateral resource expansion to the north, west and south of the current Dark Star resource; extensions of the known shallow oxide mineralization and new targets at Jasperoid Wash; new shallow oxide targets at Dixie and Arcturus; and new shallow oxide targets at Ski Track.

                     DARK STAR DRILL RESULTS

Drill hole          Intercept         Thickness             Grade
                          (m)               (m)          (g/t Au)

DR18-109            22.9-41.2              18.3              1.13
including           24.4-30.5               6.1              2.96
                  211.9-221.0               9.1              0.26
                  230.2-263.7              33.5              2.33
                  236.3-251.5              15.2              4.24
                  288.1-297.2               9.1              0.22
                  343.0-355.2              12.2              0.22
DR18-110          152.4-158.5               6.1              0.29
including         169.2-278.9             109.7              1.00
                  233.2-257.6              24.4              2.05
                  265.2-278.9              13.7              1.25
                  283.5-295.7              12.2              3.94
DC18-23                0-45.1              45.1              1.16
including           28.3-39.0              10.7              2.61
DC18-04                                    no significant results
DC18-06                                    no significant results
DC18-08                                    no significant results

Gold intervals reported in the table were calculated using a 0.14 g/t Au cut-off for oxide mineralization and a 1.0 g/t Au cut-off for reduced mineralization. Weighted averaging has been used to calculate all reported intervals. True widths are estimated at 70 to 90 per cent of drilled thicknesses.

Don Harris, Gold Standard's senior development geologist, commented: "Dark Star continues to present opportunity for growth in the oxide resources, as shown in the results for holes 23, 109 and 110. North Dark Star results (109 and 110) are particularly interesting with long runs of oxide mineralization and higher-grade sulphide at depth. These results continue to move the footprint of the deposit north and west."

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, certified reference material or rig duplicate was inserted approximately every 10th sample. The samples were delivered to Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories preparation facility in Elko, Nev., or American Assay Laboratories Inc. in Sparks, Nev., where they were crushed and pulverized. Resulting sample pulps were shipped to Bureau Veritas certified laboratory in Sparks, Nev., or Vancouver, B.C., or remained with American Assay Laboratories Inc. in Sparks, Nev. Pulps were digested and analyzed for gold using fire assay fusion and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish on a 30-gram split. Overlimit gold assays were determined using a fire assay fusion with a gravimetric finish on a 30-gram split. All other elements were determined by ICP 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 of Elko, Nev. Final drill collar locations are surveyed by differential GPS by Apex Surveying LLC of Spring Creek, Nev.

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

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 NI 43-101 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/t Au.

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