Gamers, whether they play agario, Super Mario, Call of Duty and other games, have their own political views. Gaming is not only a recreational activity to escape the real world, but is also a lens wherein a lot of young individuals are exposed to and influenced by social, political, and economic battles, as well as where others could be radicalized to the left or right. Through gaming, they learn several cruel lessons regarding capitalism as well through concerns like loot boxes, DLC, labor issues, and copyright law. To study this matter further, a research and analysis was conducted in an effort to comprehend how gaming could be connected with political inclinations.

Political Inclinations of Gamers

Politics is present in the activities that we enjoy for recreation, such as television, music, and movies. Video games are no exception, wherein political connotations seem to be increasing.  Over the past years, the lobbying of several video games as well as gaming has been trend that is on the rise. A lot may point toward the infamous Gamergate controversy as a turning point in the intrusion of politics, specifically politics’ cultural facets going into the mainstream of gaming.

The lobbying of gaming, as well as the issue of whether game developers should create games that are sociopolitically-conscious, will carry on to be contested intensely.

ValueGamers surveyed and studied if the fan bases of esports’ most popular games have political propensities. This is what they have discovered:

  • Call of Duty is intensely preferred by more conservatives and of any esport game, Call of Duty has the most intense link with a political leaning
  • Overwatch is inclined to get greater interest and appeal from liberals
  • Starcraft appeals to bipartisan
  • Far Cry 5 interests a more audience form the conservative markets

Despite this, the industry of video games has settled to at all cost circumvent political controversy. Major game developers as well as publishers have refused to publicly speak with journalists regarding the political suggestions, which are deemed provocative, of popular game titles like Far Cry and Call of Duty. This is for fear of aggravating consumers, activists, as well as trolls.