Periodic Reporting for period 1 - GEMS (Gaming Ecosystem as a Multilayered Security Threat)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-09-01 al 2025-02-28
Gaming is increasingly acknowledged as a significant cultural phenomenon shaping contemporary societies. While there is ongoing debate about precisely what defines a gamer, it is broadly accepted that nearly half of the global population has engaged with video games to some extent, and thus can be loosely considered gamers.
In this context, a specific group of researchers raised initial concerns about the possible misuse of gaming platforms by extremist groups and individuals, potentially advancing socially harmful ideologies and movements.
These preliminary insights led to the inception and subsequent approval of the GEMS project (Gaming Ecosystem as a Multilayered Security Threat) under the Horizon Europe framework.
The core objectives of the GEMS project are as follows:
O1. To enhance the scientific (i.e. academic) knowledge base of complex gaming ecosystems and develop Sociology of Gaming and Radicalisation.
O2. To understand the methods of pre-selection of vulnerable individuals in the online gaming space and recruitment methods and tools.
O3. To provide European Police Authorities (EPAs) with training materials and increased understanding of radicalization in the gaming ecosystem.
O4. To foster cross-sectoral dialogue and knowledge exchange with non-EU international stakeholders experienced in countering online extremist presence and protection of youth.
O5. To develop and train the AI moderation tool capable of 1) recognising extremist presence in the gaming ecosystem, and 2) interrupt both grooming and recruitment attempts in real-time – The Watchtower Platform.
O6. To develop European Network Against Gaming related Extremism (ENgaGE), a cross sectoral network composed of EPAs, gaming professionals, community representatives, and civil society.
Collectively, these aims align with the project’s ultimate ambition: ensuring greater safety within gaming environments, thus contributing positively to broader societal security - safer gamers, safer societies.
In this context, a specific group of researchers raised initial concerns about the possible misuse of gaming platforms by extremist groups and individuals, potentially advancing socially harmful ideologies and movements.
These preliminary insights led to the inception and subsequent approval of the GEMS project (Gaming Ecosystem as a Multilayered Security Threat) under the Horizon Europe framework.
The core objectives of the GEMS project are as follows:
O1. To enhance the scientific (i.e. academic) knowledge base of complex gaming ecosystems and develop Sociology of Gaming and Radicalisation.
O2. To understand the methods of pre-selection of vulnerable individuals in the online gaming space and recruitment methods and tools.
O3. To provide European Police Authorities (EPAs) with training materials and increased understanding of radicalization in the gaming ecosystem.
O4. To foster cross-sectoral dialogue and knowledge exchange with non-EU international stakeholders experienced in countering online extremist presence and protection of youth.
O5. To develop and train the AI moderation tool capable of 1) recognising extremist presence in the gaming ecosystem, and 2) interrupt both grooming and recruitment attempts in real-time – The Watchtower Platform.
O6. To develop European Network Against Gaming related Extremism (ENgaGE), a cross sectoral network composed of EPAs, gaming professionals, community representatives, and civil society.
Collectively, these aims align with the project’s ultimate ambition: ensuring greater safety within gaming environments, thus contributing positively to broader societal security - safer gamers, safer societies.
The project is structured into nine work packages (WPs). Six WPs focus on scientific research activities directly contributing to the core objectives, while three technical WPs support collaboration, integration, and ensure ethical and legal compliance with EU research standards.
In WP1, a key deliverable, a comprehensive public report, was completed. It shows how earlier studies linking violent video games to real-world aggression have been widely discredited. Contemporary research presents a more balanced view, acknowledging both positive and negative impacts of gaming, including risks of exploitation by extremist actors. “Gamification” emerged as a central but contested theme. The report calls for critical re-evaluation of links between gamification and extremist content, warning against over-interpreting aesthetic similarities with shooter games. It also highlights how inconsistent terminology, particularly around “gaming” and “gaming-adjacent” spaces, can obscure findings and reinforce negative stereotypes.
Four outputs were delivered under WP2. The final report presents qualitative and quantitative analyses of extremist content across Steam, Discord, 4chan, Gamer Uprising, and incels.is. Overall, extremist material was found to be relatively limited in volume and only indirectly linked to gaming platforms and play.
WP3 was designed to involve European Police Authorities (EPAs) in co-creating tools and knowledge. Activities to date have focused on a detailed needs assessment regarding EPAs’ understanding of and readiness for dealing with extremism in gaming spaces. These findings directly inform the EPA training curriculum and the development of the Watchtower Platform.
A comprehensive mapping of relevant non-EU stakeholders was completed in WP4, and disseminated to the consortium. The resulting database has identified international partners whose involvement will support the project's aims by contributing external expertise and comparative perspectives.
The responsible partner developed and delivered the Watchtower Platform, a tool designed to (1) identify extremist presence in gaming environments, and (2) disrupt grooming and recruitment activities in real time. Completed milestones include the training of a custom large language model (LLM) and a dedicated user interface.
In WP6, substantial progress has been made toward creating the European Network Against Gaming-related Extremism (ENgaGE). A mapping of key gaming stakeholders across the EU revealed major strategic and policy gaps, particularly in the Western Balkans. The report highlights that awareness and research are mainly led by non-state actors, while the gaming industry's preventive potential remains underutilized in that region.
In WP1, a key deliverable, a comprehensive public report, was completed. It shows how earlier studies linking violent video games to real-world aggression have been widely discredited. Contemporary research presents a more balanced view, acknowledging both positive and negative impacts of gaming, including risks of exploitation by extremist actors. “Gamification” emerged as a central but contested theme. The report calls for critical re-evaluation of links between gamification and extremist content, warning against over-interpreting aesthetic similarities with shooter games. It also highlights how inconsistent terminology, particularly around “gaming” and “gaming-adjacent” spaces, can obscure findings and reinforce negative stereotypes.
Four outputs were delivered under WP2. The final report presents qualitative and quantitative analyses of extremist content across Steam, Discord, 4chan, Gamer Uprising, and incels.is. Overall, extremist material was found to be relatively limited in volume and only indirectly linked to gaming platforms and play.
WP3 was designed to involve European Police Authorities (EPAs) in co-creating tools and knowledge. Activities to date have focused on a detailed needs assessment regarding EPAs’ understanding of and readiness for dealing with extremism in gaming spaces. These findings directly inform the EPA training curriculum and the development of the Watchtower Platform.
A comprehensive mapping of relevant non-EU stakeholders was completed in WP4, and disseminated to the consortium. The resulting database has identified international partners whose involvement will support the project's aims by contributing external expertise and comparative perspectives.
The responsible partner developed and delivered the Watchtower Platform, a tool designed to (1) identify extremist presence in gaming environments, and (2) disrupt grooming and recruitment activities in real time. Completed milestones include the training of a custom large language model (LLM) and a dedicated user interface.
In WP6, substantial progress has been made toward creating the European Network Against Gaming-related Extremism (ENgaGE). A mapping of key gaming stakeholders across the EU revealed major strategic and policy gaps, particularly in the Western Balkans. The report highlights that awareness and research are mainly led by non-state actors, while the gaming industry's preventive potential remains underutilized in that region.
The primary outputs of the GEMS project were planned for delivery in the second half of its duration, following the completion of core research tasks in the initial stages. Consequently, with research activities and data analyses still underway, the current results remain necessarily limited in scope. At this stage, the main contribution of GEMS lies in applying existing knowledge and empirical insights about the alleged presence of extremist actors in gaming environments to the development of a practical tool, the Watchtower platform, which for the first time harnesses recent advancements in artificial intelligence in this context. Additionally, ongoing project activities have demonstrated that extremist actors have a relatively limited presence across key gaming-related platforms, a finding previously underrepresented in the wider discourse. Furthermore, GEMS has successfully mapped most of the principal gaming stakeholders within the European Union, resulting in a comprehensive and previously unavailable database that will greatly facilitate future research and collaborative initiatives across Europe. As part of its early achievements, the project has also initiated the creation of ENgaGE, one of the first major EU-centred networks specifically dedicated to addressing extremism within the gaming ecosystem.