Hate the player, not the game: Exploring extremist and terrorist use of games, gaming platforms and gamification strategies for propaganda purposes

This article examines how video games, gaming culture, and gamificationstrategies are exploited by extremist and terrorist organisations to spreadpropaganda, recruit, and radicalise individuals. It reviews the link betweenvideo games and violence, highlighting the importance of addressing extremistcontent within the gaming community. It will trace the developmentof online extremism from the 1980s to the present, investigating how extremistgroups modify games and use in-game communication for recruitmentpurposes. It also explores the role of gaming platforms such as Steam,Twitch, and Discord in this context. Additionally, it discusses how extremistsincorporate gaming culture references, both visually and linguistically, intotheir communication strategies. The article concludes that various extremistideologies exploit video games and gaming platforms to disseminate theirmessages, build communities, and radicalise individuals. This exploitation is not limitedto far-right or jihadist ideologies but encompasses a broad spectrum of extremistmovements.