Drew Swanson
Editor
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1022articles
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76News
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919Features
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2Reviews
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24Other
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About Drew Swanson
Drew Swanson is a Features Article Editor from the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Being a gamer all his life and enjoying everything from ARPGs like Diablo to JRPGs like Pokemon and Persona, his love of digging into game lore and history naturally led to a passion for sharing these ideas with others through writing. He has been writing about games professionally for over 4 years, with bylines as a Contributing Writer at High Ground Gaming for 2 years before joining GameRant. He also has a background in video game studies with a degree from Washington State University, where he also won the Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Award in 2021 for his writing and design work on the game Quest for Arete.
Proudest Gaming Achievement
Drew is a huge Pokemon fan, so completing a living National Dex through Pokemon Gen 9 is a huge achievement for him. He tries to complete the Pokedex in each new generation, but it wasn't until Gen 7 that he started building and maintaining a living National Dex that contains one of every critter in the franchise.
Favorite Games
Pokemon Black and White, Persona 5 Royal, Final Fantasy 7, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Xenoblade Chronicles, Elden Ring, Animal Crossing, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and Metroid Prime are some of his favorites, but it's hard to pick just one. He tends to love JRPGs, and his "holy trinity" of JRPGs are Persona 5 Royal, Final Fantasy 7, and Xenoblade Chronicles.
Industry Focus
Drew focuses on Diablo 4 content, following trends in the community and highlighting popular builds for new seasons since the game's release nearly 3 years ago. He also leverages his almost 30-year fandom of Pokemon to write about the series' past, present, and future, including its lore and real-world connections. Otherwise, he tends to stay on top of the latest gaming trends, exercising his love of new gaming experiences to dive deep into new RPG, Survival, and Extraction Shooter releases.
Latest
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred's Skill Tree Update Has a Clear Winner
Diablo 4's reworked Skill Tree is a key part of the Lord of Hatred update, and one class benefits from these changes more than any other.
Paladin or Warlock: Which Class is Better for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred?
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred launches with two new classes for players to choose from, making the decision of which to start with nearly impossible.
If You Haven't Played Diablo 4 in a While, Here's What to Know About Lord of Hatred
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred changes the game drastically, meaning returning players jumping back in after a hiatus may need to do some catching up.
Steam Has 13 Big Games Releasing in May 2026
May 2026 is looking like a huge month for PC gamers, with 13 major titles including a mix of both AAA and indie releasing on Steam.
PlayStation DRM Controversy Explained
PlayStation recently added new DRM for digital PS4 and PS5 purchases, causing controversy among owners of Sony's flagship consoles.
The Worst Missions in the Grand Theft Auto Series Have a Common Denominator, and I’m Dreading GTA 6’s Version
With GTA 6 all but confirmed to have this feature returning, I'm already dreading the return of the Grand Theft Auto franchise's worst mission type.
Pokemon Champions Proves This is the Best Generation of Starters
Out of Pokemon's 9 generations, one set of starters stands above the rest and Pokemon Champions proves that these are the best starters in the series.
The Best Developer for a Dungeon Crawler Carl Game is Already Clear
With Dungeon Crawler Carl quickly expanding into other media beyond print, there is one developer that would be perfect for a video game adaptation.
Splatoon Raiders Proves Nintendo Wants to Make 2026 the Year of Island Living
With the release date for Splatoon Raiders announced, Nintendo's 2026 game lineup is starting to follow an interesting trend thematically.
The 10 Worst Pokemon that Champions Players Should Never Use
Pokemon Champions players looking to hit Master Ball rank should avoid adding these critters to their team to have the best chance at success.
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred Review
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred provides a thrilling conclusion to the Age of Hatred arc and bolsters its endgame content with some very welcome additions.
What is Warhounds, The Upcoming Tactics Game and XCOM Spiritual Successor?
Tactical RPG fans have a new XCOM and Jagged Alliance spiritual successor to look forward to when Warhounds releases on Steam later this year.
Borderlands 4’s DLC 2 Vault Hunter May Have Been Leaked
A new datamine of Borderlands 4 provides some some pretty compelling evidence of the next DLC Vault Hunter coming in Story Pack 2.
Fallout: New Vegas Designer Comments on the Possibility of a Remaster
Fallout: New Vegas designer and Obsidian Entertainment co-founder Chris Avellone weighs in on the potential of the game getting a remaster.
Pokemon Theory Imagines Clever Origin for Mimikyu
A new Pokemon fan theory has emerged that links the origins of the Ghost/Fairy-Type Mimikyu to a Gen 1 critter other than Pikachu.
Pokemon Anime Gives a Much Better Idea of When to Expect the Winds and Waves Release Date
Pokemon fans may be waiting longer than expected for Winds and Waves if the upcoming Horizons anime arc is anything to go by.
An Xbox Game Pass Price Change Would Only Be the First Step
With Xbox rumored to be looking into changing the pricing for Game Pass, it's the perfect time to overhaul another aspect of the subscription service.
GTA 6 is All But Confirmed to Have This Plot Twist, But I Really Hope it Doesn’t Happen
Based on Rockstar's track record with narratives, I can see one GTA 6 plot twist coming a mile away, but I really hope my expectations are subverted.
Pokemon Champions Mega Evolution Tier List
Mega Evolutions are a core feature of the best teams in Pokemon Champions, but not all Mega Evolutions are created equal for competitive battles.
Nostalgic Vice City Fans Should Prepare to Be Disappointed by GTA 6
Although GTA 6 is taking fans back to the iconic location of Vice City, longtime fans looking to revisit favorite locations may end up disappointed.