To game or not to game? Impact of gaming on collaborative writing skills

Background Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games are known for their collaborative nature and their contribution to students’ development of cognitive and social skills. Over the last decades, a shift to collaborative writing (CW) has been observed in both business and education settings. Although previous research has examined gaming and collaborative writing separately, no study to date has directly investigated the relationship between MOBA gaming experience and collaborative writing performance. The current study aims to fill this gap by empirically examining how the skills developed in Dota 2 may influence the collaborative writing process and outcome. Methods This study employed a mixed method approach with a qualitative emphasis to investigate the possible relationship between MOBA gaming experience on collaborative writing performance. Four dyads of undergraduate students, with varying gaming backgrounds, participated in online synchronous collaborative writing sessions. Two groups had no MOBA gaming experience. The other two groups consisted of experienced Dota 2 players. The procedure involved pre-task training, collaborative writing sessions, and post-task semi-structured interviews. To ensure robustness and trustworthiness, the study employed a triangulated methodological approach: video recordings and their transcripts were analyzed for language-related episodes (LREs); writing outcomes were examined using complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) measures; interview data were subjected to thematic analysis. This triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data enabled a thorough inquiry into both the product and process of collaborative writing, with the fine-grained LRE analysis offering a novel perspective on how gaming experience may relate to collaborative writing process and outcomes. Results The study compared four groups in terms of writing outcomes, writing processes, and gaming experience. Groups 2 and 4 (gamers) outperformed Groups 1 and 3 (non-gamers) in all CAF measures, producing more complex, accurate, and fluent content. During the writing process, Groups 2 and 4 demonstrated higher decisiveness, faster writing, and more effective collaboration. The interview analysis revealed that the MOBA gaming experience of Groups 2 and 4 appeared to influence their time management, teamwork, and collaboration, contributing to a more efficient writing process and higher quality writing. Limitations The study used a small sample, which limits its generalizability; however, it lays a foundation for future quantitative studies. The study only focused on one MOBA game ( Dota 2 ) , excluding other MOBAs (e.g., League of Legends ) or collaborative games (e.g., MMORPGs), which may develop different skills. A one-time synchronous task does not capture longitudinal skill development, adaptation over repeated CW activities, or asynchronous collaboration, which can be directions for future research. Conclusion The study fills a critical gap by empirically linking MOBA gaming (Dota 2) to collaborative writing (CW). Through rigorous mixed-method analysis (CAF measures, interviews, and process-oriented video data), we observed that gamers appeared to apply skills such as teamwork, decisiveness, and time management to enhance their CW outcomes. Suggesting a potential transfer of collaborative gaming skills to collaborative writing, the study offers insights for scholars and educators aiming to enhance collaborative writing activities in language classrooms, as well as businesses that employ collaborative practices for their projects.