Amid the global lockdowns over the past year and half, gaming, unsurprisingly, has seen a big boost in popularity, providing alternative forms of both in-home entertainment and social connection while distant.
But even before 2020, gaming had already become a key part of online culture. Indeed, the majority of YouTube’s most popular channels have at least some connection to gaming culture, and with younger audiences now having grown up engrossed in gaming as a social outlet, that influence is only rising over time.