Shannon Liao

Shannon Liao is the Deputy Gaming Editor at Inverse.

She previously ran her own gaming newsletter, Updater, and was a staff writer at The Washington Post, breaking industry scoops around business and tech, and contributing the occasional article to other sections. She has also been a tech and culture reporter at CNN and The Verge, and has moderated panels across the country at events like SXSW, Adweek, GDC, the Game Devs of Color Expo, and more.

A native New Yorker, Liao is a regular contributor to The New York Times' video game section and has appeared on cable networks including CNN, CNBC, Cheddar, CGTN, and Al Jazeera.

Gaming News

America's Biggest Video Games Union Goes on Strike

It seeks to limit the number of outsourced jobs after Microsoft’s recent moves.

By Shannon Liao
Gaming News

'Fallout' Season 2 is Making One Crucial Change From the Games

One trick games don’t have.

By Shannon Liao
Inverse Recommends

'Death Note: The Killer Within' Amplifies All of the Fun of 'Among Us' with Anime

It wasn’t me.

By Shannon Liao
Review

9 Years Later, Nintendo’s Most Iconic Hero Gets A Whole New Original RPG Adventure

'Mario & Luigi: Brothership' comes to the Nintendo Switch on November 7. It's an extremely long voyage through the sea full of occasional delights.

By Shannon Liao
Gaming

Google’s Trilogy of Halloween-Themed Doodle Games Comes to a Satisfying End

“We envisioned this Halloween series as a trilogy.”

By Shannon Liao
Retrospective

15 Years Later, the Most Influential Video Game of the Century Is Still Going Strong

A firehose of content.

By Shannon Liao
Preview

Mario and Luigi Bro It Up in 'Brothership,' Potentially Sidelining Princess Peach Again

More of the same?

By Shannon Liao
Gaming

How the Mother of a School Shooting Victim Is Fighting Back With Video Games

Change the Ref made an unexpected game.

By Shannon Liao
The Inverse Interview

10 Years Later, the Publisher of the World’s Weirdest Video Games Is Doubling Down

10 years later, the co-founders sit down to talk about Doki Doki Literature Club, Roman Sands Re:Build, and others.

By Shannon Liao
Gaming

Ghost of Yōtei May Have the One Crucial Thing Tsushima Was Missing

There’s reason to believe Yōtei could be more exciting than the original.

By Shannon Liao
Game Guides

'Black Myth: Wukong’s Epic Chinese Mythology, Explained

If you want to understand this blockbuster new game, your best option is to read the 2,300-paged tome Journey to the West.

By Shannon Liao
Opinion

The Unholy Truth Behind 'Black Myth: Wukong's Massive Sales and False Hype

Definitely not a 10/10.

By Shannon Liao
Gaming

How to Start Playing Star Wars Outlaws As Soon As Humanly Possible

Breath of the wild.

By Shannon Liao
The Inverse Interview

20 Years Later, the Most Classic Role-playing Game Has Still More to Prove

The new Big Bad is really purple.

By Shannon Liao
Exclusive

Can the Most Exhilarating Shooter of 2024 Finally Dethrone Fortnite?

Survival of the funnest.

By Shannon Liao
Gaming News

SAG-AFTRA Video Game Workers Go on Strike For AI Protections

Non-struck video games can still be affected.

By Shannon Liao
Gaming

Pro Philosopher 2 Lets You Debate Machiavelli for Gamer Points

Ace Attorney meets Disco Elysium.

By Shannon Liao
Gaming News

Life is Strange: Double Exposure Brings Back the Series’ Favorite Protagonist and New Time-Bending Powers

Gaming from a bygone era.

By Shannon Liao
Preview

The Latest Star Wars Game Feels Like Playing Overwatch at Galaxy’s Edge

“The maps are like Disneyland,” art director Dominic Estephane tells Inverse.

By Shannon Liao and Trone Dowd
Opinion

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door Feels Like We Only Go Backwards

Like stepping into a video game time machine.

By Shannon Liao