Richmond Academic Co-Authors New Research on Extremism in Online Gaming Spaces
Author: Richmond American University London
Dr. William Allchorn, Associate Professor in Criminology, has co-authored a new article exploring how extremist actors exploit online gaming-adjacent spaces to influence identity formation and community building.
Published by the Global Network on Extremism & Technology (GNET), Beyond the Clan: Identity Formation, Influence, and Extremist Milieux in Online Gaming-Adjacent Spaces examines how platforms linked to gaming culture can become environments where harmful ideologies spread through influencers, online communities, memes, and cross-platform interactions.
Drawing on qualitative interviews with researchers, moderators, and practitioners working in preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE), the article highlights the growing complexity of moderating gaming ecosystems while emphasising that gaming itself does not cause radicalisation. Instead, the research argues that these digital spaces can act as “gateway social spaces” where broader processes of identity development unfold.
The article forms part of Dr. Allchorn’s ongoing research into extremist social movements and online radicalisation. At Richmond, his work focuses on far-right extremism, counter-narratives, and the evolving role of digital platforms in shaping extremist networks and recruitment strategies. “The challenge for researchers, practitioners, and platforms,” he tell us, “is recognising how these online social spaces can become part of broader extremist milieus while preserving the overwhelmingly positive and creative aspects of gaming culture.”
