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
PSA: Pokemon Champions Players Are Using This New Mega Evolution the Wrong Way
Pokemon Champions gives players access to a new crop of Mega Evolutions for competitive battles, but most players are sleeping on one broken strategy.
Pokemon’s 2026 Release Whiplash is 2022 All Over Again
Pokemon Pokopia and Pokemon Champions have seen two very different receptions in 2026, making this year feel similar to the series's status in 2022.
Player Count for 11-Year-Old Steam Game is Suddenly Blowing Up
Steam players are flocking back to an 11-year-old game, boosting its player count to a peak that goes beyond its original launch-day numbers.
It’s Time to Admit GTA San Andreas Captured Lightning that Not Even GTA 6 May Be Able to Replicate
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the high point for the series in one huge way, and it's unlikely that even GTA 6 can recreate this feat.
All Features Confirmed for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred So Far
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred is packed with new and game-changing features set to hit Sanctuary when the expansion launches later this month.
These Are the 5 Best Pokemon Not Available in Champions Yet
Missing from Pokemon Champions' limited roster of creatures are a few competitive staples that have dominated the Gen 9 meta up to this point.
Bethesda Game is Officially Shutting Down in June
Bethesda has announced that one of its games will be shutting down permanently in June, and has already been delisted from storefronts.
Say Hello to the Best New Mega Evolution in Pokemon Champions
With the new Mega Evolutions introduced in Legends: Z-A finally usable in competitive battles, Pokemon Champions makes one the clear winner.
Pokemon Has Finally Allowed Me to Overcome My Gen 3 Blind Spots Over 20 Years Later
The recent Pokemon game releases on the Nintendo Switch 2 have finally allowed me to fill in the gaps of my experience with Gen 3.
Silent Hill is On a Generational Run That Doesn’t Seem to Be Slowing Down
The revival of the Silent Hill franchise has been nothing short of impressive, and with another release slated for 2026, shows no signs of slowing.
What is Zero Parades: For Dead Spies, the Next Game From Disco Elysium Developer ZA/UM?
ZA/UM, developer of the critically-acclaimed indie RPG Disco Elysium, is releasing its successor next month with Zero Parades: For Dead Spies.
New RPG on Steam is Like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Meets Fire Emblem with Pentiment’s Art Style
A new game on Steam combines elements of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's historical RPG genre with Fire Emblem combat and Pentiment visuals.
State of Decay 3 Will Finally Be Playable for Some Starting Next Month
State of Decay 3 developer Undead Labs is giving some fans the opportunity to try the upcoming zombie survival game out next month.
Deleted Elden Ring Cutscene Surfaces 4 Years After Launch
Newly found footage has surfaced of a deleted cutscene from Elden Ring that gives further background on one of the game's most evil characters.
New Star Fox Switch 2 Game Detail Leaked
A new detail has emerged about the leaked Star Fox game allegedly coming to the Switch 2 later this year, suggesting a new direction for the series.
The Sky’s the Limit for a Pokemon Pokopia Sequel
Given the success of Pokemon Pokopia, a sequel feels inevitable, and it would have a ton of options on the table whenever it eventually releases.
Say Goodbye to This Popular Competitive Format in Pokemon Champions
Pokemon Champions is making competitive battles more accessible than ever before, but one popular battle format won't be playable at all.
What to Know About Skovos Ahead of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred's Release Date
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred is debuting the region of Skovos for the first time, but the location already has a deep history and lore in the series.
A New Infinite Damage Build Has Hit Borderlands 4
Borderlands 4 has a new infinite damage build for its new Vault Hunter C4SH, available with the launch of Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned DLC.
A Lot of Borderlands 4 Players Aren't Happy About the New Expansion
Borderlands 4's Story Pack 1 DLC isn't winning many fans over, with the majority criticizing the expansion's lack of content for the price.