Men and Masculinities in Gaming: A Scoping Review

This article presents a scoping review of academic literature discussing men and masculinities in the context of both digital and analog gaming. Through our qualitative and quantitative exploration of 422 works published between 1973 and 2024, we identify the empirical and theoretical basis for our understanding of men and masculinities in gaming and point out gaps in the current literature. We note four key issues for further consideration: a proliferation of masculinity types, a strong presence of hegemonic masculinity theory, research not connecting to existing men’s studies work, and a relatively limited body of work on men’s gendered experiences. We discuss the implications of our findings for our understanding of gendered gaming culture.