Far-right groups using popular games like Minecraft and Call of Duty to radicalise boys online, cybersecurity expert warns
Popular video game platforms such as Call of Duty and Minecraft are being used by far-right extremist groups to radicalise vulnerable young men online, LBC has been warned.
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The last two decades have seen a massive rise in the time young men spend playing video games online, with 11-17-year-old boys spending a staggering 23 hours per week gaming on average in 2024.
These platforms allow people to connect and form friendships, but have also become a breeding ground for radicalisation and the exploitation of young men, cybersecurity expert Andrius Petkus has told LBC.
And it's a form of online exploitation that has real-world consequences.
Earlier this year, 18-year-old Felix Winter was jailed for six years after spending more than 1,000 hours in a neo-nazi chatroom, which was first introduced to him while gaming online, and threatening to carry out a mass shooting.
The threat came just weeks after Counter Terrorism Policing, MI5 and the National Crime Agency issued a warning to parents claiming extremist groups “will exploit the school holidays to engage in criminal acts with young people when they know less support is readily available”.
“I have witnessed firsthand how video games have become carriers of radicalisation, especially among young men already prone to extremist appeals,” Mr Petkus said.
“Most popular games, and particularly large-scale multiplayer games such as Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Minecraft, feature extensive social functions, such as voice chat, forums, and private servers.
“These environments are highly interactive and immersive, which makes them attractive to extremist recruiters.”
Meanwhile, Dr William Allchorn, a senior research fellow at Anglia Ruskin University, found that young men are being “funnelled” into extremist chatrooms via online video games.
Dr Alchorn said: “There has definitely been a more coordinated effort by far-right groups like Patriotic Alternative to recruit young people through gaming events that first emerged during lockdown.”
Mr Petkus explained right-wing extremist groups based in the UK and North America will often co-opt the so-called “fan culture” within these gaming platforms, using the language, memes and jokes popular amongst players to lure young men in and being the radicalisation process.
He said: “The modus operandi is typically one of appeals to loneliness, frustration, or disenfranchisement.
“Teenage males struggling with social relationships, identity, or self-esteem are particularly vulnerable because these gaming communities can provide an individual with feelings of belongingness and validation.
“Extremists capitalise on that by weaving their narratives into shared interests like game strategies, esports culture, or popular memes so that the ideology appears to be an organic outgrowth of the gaming experience.
“Anonymity online provided by gaming also makes it easy for such actors to communicate freely without being detected, sometimes in private chats such as Discord.
“There are extremist groups in Europe and North America that have specifically targeted gaming communities and infiltrated them by using memes, humour, and gameplay experiences as a way to groom younger players before being introduced to radical content.
“Through repetition and the immersive nature of gaming, the ideas can become ingrained over time, allowing for echo chambers where the players are consistently exposed to extremist ideology without even knowing the intention.”
Mr Petkus warned that the only way to prevent this rapid spread of radicalisation is for parents and educators to develop “digital literacy.”
He also called on gaming platforms and regulators to more actively manage chatrooms in a bid to flag “recruitment patterns.”
There has been progress, however, with Dr Allchorn’s research finding that many gaming platforms are making a concerted effort to crack down on extremist groups exploiting their services.
A Microsoft spokesperson said: "Microsoft prohibits terrorist and violent extremist content, and we leverage a range of tools including proactive detection technologies to address content and conduct that violates our policies.
Terrorism and violent extremism are society-wide challenges that one company cannot fight alone. Microsoft will continue to evolve our approach and work with governments, civil society, and others in the industry on whole of society solutions."