Miranda Sanchez anchors IGN’s guides division as Executive Editor, specializing in open-world RPGs, narrative-driven adventures, and gaming culture crossovers. With over a decade of experience, she’s transformed game guides into critical analysis tools used by 12 million monthly readers.
“The best pitches help us anticipate what players will need before they know they need it.”
Recent recognitions include a 2023 Games Media Awards nomination for her Cyberpunk 2077 guide’s impact on playtesting methodologies. Connect via her IGN profile for story collaborations rooted in gameplay depth rather than industry gossip.
We’ve followed Miranda Sanchez’s career as she evolved from a freelance journalist to a defining voice in gaming guides. After earning her journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma, she joined IGN’s guides team in the mid-2010s, where her meticulous approach to walkthroughs and game analysis quickly set her apart. By 2020, she became IGN’s Executive Editor of Guides, overseeing a team that produces some of the most referenced resources in the gaming industry.
Early in her career, Sanchez pioneered IGN’s anime coverage, blending cultural analysis with gaming crossovers. Her hosting role on Podcast Unlocked and The IGN Show further cemented her reputation as a versatile commentator. Today, she balances editorial management with hands-on guide creation, streaming gameplay on Twitch to connect directly with players.
Sanchez’s Cyberpunk 2077 guide exemplifies her ability to decode complex open-world systems. The 85,000-word resource breaks down branching narratives, character builds, and hidden endings with surgical precision. Her team introduced interactive maps showing loot locations and enemy spawns, a feature later adopted by competitors. The guide’s “Choices and Consequences” section remains a benchmark for analyzing player agency in RPGs, cited by developers like CD Projekt Red in post-launch interviews.
“Guides aren’t just about solutions—they’re about enhancing how players experience a game’s design.”
When Halo Infinite revitalized the franchise in 2021, Sanchez’s guide addressed both nostalgia and innovation. She developed a tiered difficulty system for boss strategies, helping casual and veteran players alike. The guide’s analysis of the game’s grappling hook mechanics influenced later patches that refined movement physics. Notably, her team collaborated with 343 Industries to clarify lore connections between missions, bridging narrative and gameplay.
Sanchez’s work on Double Fine’s Broken Age showcases her affinity for narrative-driven games. The guide’s “Puzzle Logic” section became essential for point-and-click enthusiasts, using flowcharts to map branching dialogue options. Her interviews with Tim Schafer about puzzle design philosophy added academic depth rarely seen in game guides, later referenced in GDC talks about adventure game revival.
Sanchez prioritizes guides that reveal how game systems interconnect. A successful pitch might explore the evolution of skill trees across RPGs, using examples from her Cyberpunk 2077 work. Developers could provide exclusive data on player choice statistics to support such features.
With her background in anime coverage, Sanchez welcomes pitches about game-to-screen adaptations. A recent example includes her analysis of The Last of Us TV series’ impact on gameplay perception. PR teams could connect her with writers adapting games into other media formats.
While Sanchez doesn’t cover hardware reviews, she highlights software accessibility features. Her Halo Infinite guide’s section on customizable controls led to partnerships with accessibility advocates. Pitches should highlight how new games implement features like colorblind modes or adaptive difficulty.
