Remembering Nicholas Ransbottom

Over the weekend, we learned some sad news: Nicholas Ransbottom, a contributor to RPGFan, Nintendo Life, IGN, and more, passed away after a long battle with cystic fibrosis. We first heard the news via one of Nick’s best friends, Elise, on Bluesky. Nick’s husband, Julien, shared an official statement yesterday on Bluesky and other social media as well.

Nick may have only been with RPGFan for about two years (2016–2018), but he quickly became a beloved teammate, talented writer, and friend to many of us, and we were fortunate to have him on the team. While we were devastated to hear of his passing, we look back on Nick’s work fondly and wanted to share some of our thoughts, and links to some of his articles he wrote while he was with RPGFan.

Nick’s first review with us was his glowing take on The Banner Saga 2 in 2016. Later that year, Nick showed us that he wasn’t afraid to tackle difficult subject matter, let alone very personal ones, with his article on how Kingdom Hearts helped him cope with childhood abuse.

A big fan of Final Fantasy XV, Nick had a chance to interview Noctis’ voice actor, Ray Chase, and write a wonderful, thought-provoking piece on the game’s portrayal of platonic love titled I Love You, Man, as part of our Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary series in 2017.

Before FFXV, though, Nick was a fan of Final Fantasy XII, as was abundantly clear if you read his Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age review from 2017. Later that same year, he wrote about his love of that game’s cast in our Favorite RPG Casts & Characters feature.

Another series Nick enjoyed was Monster Hunter, and because a single review or article was often not ambitious enough for him, in February 2018, alongside his Monster Hunter: World review, he interviewed one of the founders of the Adopt-A-Hunter community. This community offered one-on-one tutoring that paired Monster Hunter novices with series veterans to help interested players approach the daunting series more easily.

These are only some highlights, of course. You can find many more articles, reviews, and podcast appearances on Nick’s author page here on RPGFan. He also penned a couple articles in 2025 over at Nintendo Life that are worth a read.

RPGFan Team Thoughts

From Hilary Andreff (Proofreading, RPGFan):

Nick never failed to leave an impression with his writing. I was always eager to proofread whatever he cared to work on—he always had such an infectious mix of enthusiasm and discernment, and he always seemed to get at the meaning behind this hobby we all love in a deeper, more personal sense. I appreciate the courage and authenticity he always brought when discussing our work. He was always his full self, and it was easy to trust what he’d said and written. What a rare gift!

I feel privileged to have had some “real life” conversations with him, too, especially when he learned about my previous day job in clinical DNA testing. I’ll always be grateful that he shared with me in that way and for the time we had at RPGFan together, and I won’t be forgetting those conversations any time soon. Thank you, Nick!

From Patrick Gann (RPGFan Music):

One of the reasons I love RPGs (and gaming in general) is that moment of discovery, little joyful moments that give life. And then, as writers, we love to talk about those moments.

The pieces that Nick wrote for RPGFan, including his piece on platonic love in FFXV and the way Kingdom Hearts helped him recover from trauma, are examples of how Nick found those glimmers of light.

I am so grateful for Nick and others like him who refuse to let chronic illness rob them of their joy and their memories, especially those memories shared with others as a point of connection. I hope that my own efforts to convey those important, joyful moments to others will someday be as effective as Nick’s.

From Neal Chandran (PR Manager, RPGFan):

I most remember Nick spearheading our Favorite RPG Casts & Characters feature and being on the companion episode of Retro Encounter with him. It just felt like art and life intertwining, and it spoke to us at RPGFan as an eclectic ensemble cast coming together to bring Nick’s idea to life in such a meaningful way. Wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t put that idea out there.

From Peter Triezenberg (Former News Manager, RPGFan):

I was gutted to learn of Nick’s passing. He was an extraordinarily talented writer and a lovely, warm human being, as well as a fellow Final Fantasy XV enthusiast. During his tenure at RPGFan, Nick wrote what I consider to be one of the definitive texts on that game, exploring the themes of platonic love at its core. His insight, candor and wit will be deeply missed. Rest in peace, fellow adventurer.

From Alana Hagues (Deputy Editor, Nintendo Life, former Review Manager, RPGFan):

I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to someone as positive, enthusiastic, or as kind as Nick. Nick was always looking for the good and pure in everything. His writing reflected an excitement to discover things that were new to him and a love of what was important to him. But he also understood that video games were more than just games—they meant something. He was always keen to find that something, and I was always excited to discuss whatever that was with him and work with him.

Finding meaning and recovery in Kingdom Hearts and brotherly love in Final Fantasy XV had never left me. His fervent joy interviewing Ray Chase about acting and relationships is infectious, and every time I read it, I can picture him beaming. We never met in real life, but Nick left a last impact on me and many others for his continuous strength and relentless positivity. He’ll continue to remain in the hearts of many because of his kindness his humour.

Keep reading his writing, keep celebrating his work and life, and next time you boot up Final Fantasy XV or Monster Hunter, do something in his honour.