The gaming community has a questionable reputation.
People have accused gamers of creating hostile male-dominated virtual environments that encourage crass conversations, abusive language, and every form of ‘ism’ (racism, sexism, etc) you can think of.
Women, in particular, have asserted over the years that gaming communities repel them. They feel unsafe because of the disturbing barrage of death threats, rape threats, and unwanted flirting that comes their way.
If your understanding of this medium is based on the few headlines you see in mainstream publications, you have probably constructed a thoroughly negative opinion of gamers and their online platforms. They sound like a bunch of pointlessly aggressive thugs with little or no self-control.
I can also imagine your surprise when you read Seth Goldman’s story. An avid ‘Hollow Knight’ fan, the boy revealed his Ewing Sarcoma (bone cancer) diagnosis in 2018. After learning that he had mere months to live, Seth worked with a non-profit organization that fulfills the wishes of dying children.
The Marty Lyons Foundation connected Seth to Team Cherry, the people behind ‘Hollow Knight.’ Seth was merely hoping for a video call with Team Cherry. But the developers took things a step further, allowing Seth to create and design a boss character (also named Seth) who players can face and fight in ‘Hollow Knight: Silksong’ today.
‘Silksong’ came out in 2025, but Seth was allowed to see footage of his character before passing away in 2019. Seth, the boy, is gone, but Seth, the character, will keep his memory alive for decades to come.
Twelve-year-old Ezra Chatterton’s brain cancer diagnosis led to a seizure that left him in a coma for days. After waking up, Ezra spent his stay in the hospital playing ‘World of Warcraft’ with his father (Micah).
The game was a fitting distraction from the pain. When his story reached Blizzard Entertainment, they asked the boy to create his own quest for the game. The result was ‘Kyle’s Gone Missing,’ a mission where players find and feed a missing dog.
You can hear Ezra’s real voice in the game. He’s the one who begs players to find his prized puppy. Micah abandoned the game after his son died. Years later, he remarried, birthed another child, and rediscovered the game. When Micah hears his son’s pleading voice, he does not feel sadness.
Instead, the quest allows him to reconnect with a part of Ezra that lingers today. These stories have become fairly commonplace. Sarah was five years old when brain cancer claimed her life in 2013.
When Piranha Games, which makes her favourite game, heard about Sarah’s obsession with MechWarrior Online, they created a specialized mech as a tribute to the girl. In the case of a player known only as Fine-Clothes-1209, the CEO of Arrowhead Games (which is responsible for Helldivers) heard that his best friend had committed suicide.
Johan Polestedt promised that he would task the Helldivers team with creating a lasting memorial for 1209’s friend. But even before the CEO responded, Fine-Clothes-1209 had already received an outpouring of support from the Helldivers community.
The gaming community is a ‘community’ in every sense of the word. They may argue relentlessly over meaningless matters, but when one of their own falls, they won’t hesitate to offer a helping hand.
Consider Mamaril, who became a vital NPC in ‘Borderlands 2’ after dying at 22 because his friend wrote a letter to Gearbox, asking the studio to eulogize Mamaril; or Roger Rall, who had a server (The Sanctum of Rall) named after him in ‘Guild Wars 2’ because his online peers bombarded Arenanet (the studio) with letters demanding a tribute.
Regardless of what you think of gamers and their communities, these individuals typically manifest a level of compassion, solidarity, and care you rarely see in real life.
katmic200@gmail.com
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