Videogames, gaming-related content, and gaming (-adjacent) platforms are a new key area of discussion for those seeking to understand how extremist actors use the digital space to further their aims. Livestreamed attacks, the development of videogames with radical ideological content, the potential to use in-game chats and Discord servers to disseminate propaganda, and the link some right-wing perpetrators had to parts of the gaming community have placed gaming-related content and spaces at the heart of the discourse on contemporary extremism. While much more research is needed to understand the potential link between gaming and extremism, why extremist actors are present in gaming spaces, and how gaming topics are used for propaganda, it is undeniable that extremist content is present on gaming (-adjacent) platforms and is seen by many users in these spaces. Therefore, it is reasonable to ask whether gaming (-adjacent) platforms – such as Discord, Steam, Twitch, and DLive – could (or should) be used for P/CVE measures as well. The following recommendations are based on a recent RAN paper on this issue and are meant as an invitation to think about the development and implementation of such measures as there are currently few examples of P/CVE initiatives in these spaces.
Into the Dungeon? Possibilities for Primary and Secondary Prevention on Gaming (-Adjacent) Platforms (Linda Schlegel, GNET)
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