Katie Schutze-Contributor

Katie Schutze

Contributor

January, 2026
Bachelor of Arts in English
Video Games, JRPG, Pokémon
  • 36
    articles
  • 12
    News
  • 24
    Features

About Katie Schutze

A born-and-bred Texan, Katie's been overthinking fiction since she could pick up a TV remote. After getting her English degree, she found her niche when someone passed a game writer position at CBR her way. Someday, her inane ramblings about the parallels between Homer's Odyssey and The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie will be validated.

Katie started out as a writer for CBR in 2023, where she wrote features, lists, and news about video games and anime alike. In 2026, she started writing for GameRant.

The youngest of four sisters, Katie's been gaming on hardware much older than her since she was born. She was still playing Pokemon Yellow while her classmates were on Pokemon Emerald, and remembers when PC games still required CDs. She can't count how many times she's beaten Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2.

Favorite Games

Katie's favorite game of all time is Rune Factory 4, and her favorite story in gaming is Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. She was inordinately thrilled when both of these were ported to the Nintendo Switch.

Favorite Console

Katie's Nintendo 3DS has given her the most playtime out of any console she's ever owned, and she'll still vouch that it's got some of the best JRPGs of all time.

Industry Focus

Katie has a particular fondness for JRPGs due to their storytelling potential, but she's happy to write on most things about the gaming industry in general.

Latest

Custom image of Ditto in Pokemon Pokopia on the left side and the American Nintendo Direct Miis from Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream on the right
Should You Buy Pokemon Pokopia or Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream?

For the cozy gamer on a budget, it can be hard to pick between Pokemon Pokopia or Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. Here's what to consider.

Cropped version of the box art for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, featuring Ap9ollo, two player characters, Filbert, the Nooks, Fuschia, Isabelle, and Chip
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gets Brand-New Update

Patch 3.0.3 of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is now out, featuring some good news for those who missed the last patch.

Art of Alola
A Decade Later, These Pokemon Games with an 87 Metascore Are Still the Darkest in the Mainline Franchise

The main Pokemon games have taken some dark turns before, but these Generation 7 entries with some particularly high Metascores take the cake.

Ditto uses Leafage after learning it from Bulbasaur in Pokemon Pokopia
Annoying Pokemon Pokopia Bug Isn't Game-Breaking After All

A glitch with Relocation Kits in Pokemon Pokopia was thought to be a soft lock at first, but a player has confirmed that things turned out fine.

A Cloud Strife Mii and a Sephiroth Mii running towards each other blushing about to hug in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
Are Miis Too Nice in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream?

Miis in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream generally get along, but there are some concerns that their kindness makes the game more boring.

The Metal song in the Concert Hall in Tomodachi Life on 3DS
Fans Miss These Little Things from the 3DS Tomodachi Life in Living the Dream

Tomodachi Life fans are truly Living the Dream with the new Nintendo Switch entry, but the absence of these features from past games is disappointing.

A silhouette of a Venusaur overlaid on official art for Pokemon Champions
Pokemon Champions Giving Away Free Gen 1 Starter

For the next Online Competition in Pokemon Champions, participants will receive a beloved and strong Generation 1 Pokemon.

lani minella roles bubsy and rouge the bat
Who Is Lani Minella? The Actor Who Broke Jennifer Hale’s 11-Year Guiness Record

Lani Minella is the most prolific woman in video game voice acting, and you've probably heard her before without even knowing it.

screenshot of the office island Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Was in Development for 9 Years

A new interview with the team behind Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream shows why a new Tomodachi Life game took so long to develop.

Professor Hershel Layton overlaid on an image of Steam Bison from Professor Layton and the New World of Steam
Professor Layton and the New World of Steam Reveals New Features and Even More Launch Platforms

A new trailer for Professor Layton and the New World of Steam shows off what the game has to offer as well as which platforms it will come to.

Pokemon Champions Title Screen cropped featuring player characters, Armarouge, Mega Charizard X, Mega Tyranitar, and Palafin Hero Form
Pokemon Champions is a Great Tool for Players Like Me

As a longtime Pokemon fan who never really got into the competitive scene, Pokemon Champions has made it much less daunting to build a great team.

A portion of the full version of the art used for the Nintendo Switch version of Miitopia's cover
While You Wait for Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, Try This Other Mii Game Out

Before Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream comes out on April 16th, players who need their quirky Mii fix should try out this Mii-focused game.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake director teases gameplay additions for Part 3
You’ll Want to Read this Final Fantasy 7 Remake Prequel Before Rebirth’s Switch 2 Release This Summer

Between Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth, a novel starring leading ladies Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough came out: Traces of Two Pasts.

Custom image where a giant hand lifts Patrick the Mii away from the Where & Wear clothing store from Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
Avoid This to Get the Most Out of the Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Demo

The new demo for Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream on the Nintendo Switch has players avoiding a major mechanic just to play as long as possible.

Pokemon 30th Anniversary English Logo With Pokemon Champions Mask Overlaid on Winds and Waves Screenshot
Pokemon Games in 2026 Are on a Generational Run, and 2027 Could Be More of the Same

Pokemon started its 30th anniversary off strong with the Kanto remakes, Pokemon Pokopia, and more, but 2027 could be equally special.

Nintendo GameCube Nintendo Classics banner with Dark Lugia
Nintendo Acknowledges Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness Switch 2 Issue

Nintendo is aware that the Nintendo Switch 2 re-release of Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness suffers from crashing that can result in save data deletion.

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A giant version of the Alice Mii looks down on the Anne Mii in a dream in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Details Its Major New Features

The new Overview Trailer for Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream helpfully summarizes the upcoming Nintendo Switch life simulator's mechanics.

Official art of the Rotom Pokedex, base Rotom, and the Rotom phone overlaid on the old Chateau in Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl
The Legendary Decline of Rotom in Pokemon Explained

When Rotom first appeared in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, the games seemed to treat it as a Legendary, but now it feels very different.

Before it became Ditto's signature feature, Pokemon didn't always have it keep its smile when transforming.
Pokopia: How Ditto’s Dopey Smile Went From a Mistake to Its Trademark

Even when transformed, the Pokemon Ditto often keeps its signature dot-eyed smile. But long before Pokemon Pokopia, Ditto's grin wasn't a good thing.

Mainline Pokemon games should add the ability to play as the Pokemon themselves in some situations
What Future Mainline Pokemon Games Should Take from Pokemon Pokopia’s Exploration

Pokemon Pokopia is officially one of Metacritic's best-reviewed Pokemon games ever, and some of its mechanics could work well in Gen 10 and beyond.