Eric Van Allen

Eric Van Allen is a video editor at Game Informer who focuses on in‑depth coverage of games through hands‑on previews, video features, and podcasts. He joined the outlet in 2025 and works across multiple formats to tell stories about both the games themselves and the people who make them. His recent work leans toward narrative‑driven, mechanically dense titles, where he can combine detailed play impressions with attention to character, worldbuilding, and systems. He consistently brings a player’s perspective shaped by long hours with a game into his coverage, so his pieces emphasise how a game actually feels to play rather than just what it promises.

Hands-on previews and narrative-focused coverage

Previews and early impressions are at the core of Van Allen’s output, and he tends to anchor them in specific sequences he has played rather than broad marketing claims.

In his preview of The Wolf Among Us 2, he frames the sequel as “an old dog with new tricks”, focusing on how new mechanics and narrative beats build on the original’s strengths while preserving its tone. His New Gameplay Today feature on Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is structured around three missions he played, highlighting tense aerial battles, bombing runs, and moments where the aircraft goes down, giving a clear sense of difficulty and pacing.

That piece also underscores his habit of positioning himself inside the experience, with the write‑up describing him as a “resident ace pilot” who flew out to see what the team has been building. In coverage of Nodusfall, a new fantasy action project from Hoyoverse, he zeroes in on what makes the combat and setting feel distinct within a crowded action‑RPG space, treating it as a surprising addition to that universe rather than just another announcement. His video interview on Exodus’ romance systems similarly drills into how relationship mechanics and story choices are woven into a large‑scale RPG structure, showing an interest in how emotional arcs are implemented in design rather than just their existence.

Across these pieces, his preview work is characterised by concrete play examples and a steady focus on how narrative and mechanics reinforce each other.

Strategy, long-running series, and deep-time play

Van Allen frequently covers strategy and long‑running franchises, and he tends to treat them as ongoing commitments rather than one‑off releases. His work on Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave includes both a review and a dedicated podcast episode built on more than 130 hours of play, demonstrating a willingness to invest the time needed to understand a complex tactical RPG.

That podcast episode centres on whether the massive time commitment was worthwhile, with his discussion framed around specific campaign experiences and how the game’s systems hold up over extended play.

In his piece “Total War At 40,000 Times Scale”, he explores a new large‑scale strategy project through the lens of its gigantic scope and the year‑spanning campaign structure, treating scale and pacing as central questions for players who follow the genre. His Blizzard coverage shows a similar interest in how established series evolve: he reports on a StarCraft open‑world shooter targeting a 2030 launch, focusing on what it means to take that universe into a new genre, and a Warcraft III: Reforged update that adds a new campaign and graphics overhaul, signalling ongoing support for a remastered classic.

On the podcast side, he helps steer discussions about Overwatch’s major overhaul and Nintendo’s upcoming year, grounding them in the implications for live‑service balance and long‑term player engagement rather than just patch notes. This combination of deep playtime, franchise history, and attention to long‑term support makes his coverage valuable when a story hinges on how a game fits into a larger strategic or series context.

Video features, interviews, and podcast hosting

Van Allen’s role as a video editor shapes a large portion of his work, and he is a regular presence on Game Informer’s video channels and podcasts.

His staff bio notes that he enjoys making videos and telling stories about the people who create the games he loves, which is reflected in developer‑focused interviews and feature segments. The Exodus romance video interview is a clear example: he uses the conversation to unpack how the team approaches relationships, choice, and character writing, placing designers and their philosophies at the centre of the piece.

On The Game Informer Show, he appears as host and panelist across episodes that cover Nintendo’s slate, Overwatch’s overhaul, and a range of previews, keeping discussion practical and grounded in hands‑on experience rather than high‑level commentary. He also fronts a dedicated GI Podcast episode built around Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, where the format allows him to go long on build variety, narrative pacing, and how the game’s length interacts with daily life.

In the Onimusha: Way of the Sword cover story episode, he returns from a trip to play Capcom’s revival and leads listeners through what the team saw in Japan, mixing field reporting with an accessible audio breakdown. Across these shows, his presenting style emphasises clarity and specific examples, making complex systems and genre nuances easier to follow for an audience that may not have played the games yet.

Event coverage, cover stories, and industry breadth

Much of Van Allen’s recent work is tied to major industry events and cover‑story packages, where he serves as one of the voices translating early builds and announcements into concrete takeaways. His Gamescom‑tagged pieces on Total War at 40,000 times scale and Hoyoverse’s Nodusfall reflect the rhythms of show reporting, moving from booth demos to broader conclusions about where these projects sit in their respective genres. He also provides coverage from BlizzCon, writing about the newly announced StarCraft open‑world shooter and the latest Warcraft III: Reforged campaign and graphics update, which together sketch out Blizzard’s forward and backward‑looking strategy.

The Onimusha cover trip to Japan highlights his place in Game Informer’s larger editorial plans, as he contributes both on‑site impressions and follow‑up podcast analysis for a marquee revival. Earlier appearances as a guest on The Game Informer Show, where he is introduced with affiliations to outlets such as Axe of the Blood God, IGN, and Normandy FM, point to a background that spans written reporting and specialised podcasts across the gaming media space.

That broader experience shows up in his current work as a familiarity with different formats and audiences, whether he is scripting a video, writing a preview, or moderating a multi‑segment show.