GEMS New Publication
From ELIAMEP's Website,
Produced by ELIAMEP within the framework of the Horizon Europe GEMS project, this observational study offers one of the first in-depth empirical examinations of gaming cafés as social environments where online and offline dynamics intersect. Rather than focusing exclusively on digital platforms, the research adopted an innovative fieldwork approach, observing gamers directly within their everyday environments and examining how peer interactions, gaming cultures, local contexts, and digital experiences shape attitudes and behaviours.
Based on 147 hours of field observations conducted across seven gaming cafés in Athens and Pristina, complemented by 52 semi-structured interviews with gamers, café owners, staff, moderators, and police authorities, the study provides a rare insight into how gaming communities function beyond the screen. By moving research into physical gaming spaces, it captures forms of socialisation, influence, and identity formation that are often overlooked in analyses of online content alone.
The findings indicate that gaming cafés are not sites of systematic extremist recruitment. However, they create conditions that increase vulnerability to radicalization through a combination of unsupervised youth participation, exposure to harmful online content, peer influence, and interactions that extend beyond gaming environments into external digital platforms such as Discord, Telegram, Reddit, and YouTube. The study found that vulnerabilities emerge not through direct recruitment within cafés, but rather through the gradual normalization of exclusionary, conspiratorial, extremist-adjacent, and discriminatory narratives that circulate between online and offline spaces.
Particular concerns were identified regarding minors. Children and adolescents were frequently observed spending extended periods in gaming cafés without supervision and with unrestricted access to violent games, online communication platforms, and older peer groups. Younger users often reproduced behaviours, language, and attitudes encountered both online and within gaming communities, including misogynistic, discriminatory, and aggressive forms of communication. While such behaviours do not constitute radicalization in themselves, they contribute to environments where harmful narratives become normalized and accepted.
The nature of these vulnerabilities differed across the two research sites. In Athens, risks were primarily associated with anti-establishment attitudes, conspiracy theories, institutional distrust, far-right symbolism, and online subcultures connected to influencer networks, football ultras, and music scenes that glorify hyper-masculinity, violence, and anti-authority identities. In Pristina, vulnerabilities were more closely linked to ethnonationalist narratives rooted in Kosovo’s post-conflict context, where historical grievances and tensions between ethnic communities occasionally surfaced through gaming-related interactions, competitive play, and online discussions.
Across both countries, toxic forms of online culture represented a recurring theme. Researchers documented instances of misogynistic, homophobic, discriminatory, and hateful language, often framed by participants as humour, banter, or a normal part of gaming culture. Women and LGBTQ+ individuals often reported feeling marginalized or excluded within gaming spaces. Gender-based hostility and discriminatory language were particularly common among younger male players and were frequently dismissed as part of gaming culture. Such environments can contribute to broader processes of exclusion and identity-based grievance that are relevant to contemporary radicalization pathways. Researchers observed limited awareness of reporting mechanisms, online safety procedures, or digital resilience measures among gamers in both countries.
At the same time, the study identified a number of important resilience factors. Gaming cafés function as significant social hubs where young people build friendships, develop social skills, and cultivate a sense of belonging. Many participants described gaming cafés as a “second home” that provides structure, companionship, and community. These social ties act as protective factors against isolation, loneliness, and marginalization, all of which are commonly associated with vulnerability to radicalization.
The research also found that strong peer networks, teamwork-oriented gaming environments, and positive relationships with café owners and staff often promote informal mentoring, social support, and conflict de-escalation. In many cases, café operators played an active role in maintaining community norms, discouraging disruptive behaviour, and fostering inclusive environments. These findings suggest that gaming cafés can serve as valuable community actors capable of contributing to prevention and resilience-building efforts.
Overall, the study concludes that gaming cafés should be understood as hybrid social and digital environments that contain both risks and protective elements. While they are not primary sites of extremist recruitment, they facilitate exposure to harmful narratives and the normalization of extremist-adjacent attitudes, particularly among younger and more vulnerable users. At the same time, their capacity to foster belonging, social cohesion, and supportive peer networks makes them important partners for prevention initiatives. Effective policy responses should therefore focus on strengthening digital literacy, improving safeguarding measures for minors, raising awareness among café operators and parents, and leveraging gaming cafés as community-based spaces for resilience-building rather than treating them primarily as security threats.
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