Even though gaming has been a pastime for decades, the hobby still has a stigma attached to it. Video game violence has been blamed for many atrocities and those who play games are typically regarded as lazy or toxic.
While most of these stereotypes have been debunked (though some people actually do struggle with video game addiction), those outside of the gaming community don’t realize just how great we can be as a group.
This post will cover several times where gamers have reached out to offer support or show that they care on a deeper level.
Reckful Memorial – World of Warcraft Servers
On July 2, 2020, Byron Daniel Bernstein, better known as Reckful on Twitch and in the gaming community, committed suicide. Reckful had been very instrumental in creating ways for streamers to monetize their channels and helping others grow. He was known to be a kind and genuine person and was loved by many in both World of Warcraft and the gaming community at large.
As news of his death quickly spread, WoW servers were filled with gamers who gathered together to stand in support of each other and remember someone who had been inspirational to many. Alliance and Horde members stood side by side without attacking each other, each account respecting each other as they paid their respects. It was a huge demonstration of how gamers will band together in support when something affects them all.
While the events surrounding Reckful’s suicide gained more attention than most gamer deaths due to his notoriety, many gamers can recount times where other gamers have passed in MMOs and how servers will band together to support the friends of the gamer in one way or another.
Seizure Savior – Help From Another Continent
On 2 January 2020, Aiden Jackson, a 17-year old from Cheshire, UK was gaming with a friend in Texas, USA when he stood up and had a seizure. His friend, Dia Lathora could hear that something was wrong.
The two had been friends for a while and Dia had Aiden’s address but not his phone number. She immediately called the Cheshire police and let them know that she was worried for her friend.
Aiden’s parents were surprised when the police showed up, but extremely grateful when they realized that they couldn’t hear their son in distress when his door was closed. Both Aiden and his parents were extremely grateful to Dia for her quick action in getting him help.
Arms Around Bdubs – Support Through A Personal Trial Gone Public
In October 2017, the popular Hermitcraft streamer, BdoubleO100 (Better known as Bdubs) posted a YouTube video about the difficulties in his wife’s pregnancy. They had announced the pregnancy previously and held a gender reveal on Twitch. Unfortunately, after tests, they realized that their daughter (who they named Ivy) had Trisomy13, a lethal condition. His composure broke as he explained what the future would look like for his family as he asked for prayer.
He explained that he would be taking a break from his YouTube and do less with his steaming – something that is very difficult for content creators to recover from. He understood that he may lose a lot of his community as they would move on to other things or feel abandoned. His priority, however, was to be with his family and support them through this loss.
In March 2018, he uploaded another video that explained that his daughter was born on January 12 and she passed 18 hours later. He explained his healing process, then thanked his community for all their support throughout the whole process. He was amazed that in the world of trolls, none came forward to try to make light of his pain or say something mean.
Gamers sent love and support, donated financially to help the family, and waited for him to return to content creation without leaving his community. While people can sometimes forget that someone on the other end of the screen is human, in this case… it was remembered.
Donations Galore – Gamers Donating to Charities Through Twitch or YouTube
Over the last few years, we’ve noticed Twitch charity steams and grassroots movements on YouTube that have raised millions of dollars toward common causes.
Whether it is to plant trees, fight for equality, or raise funds toward fighting Australian forest fires, gamers and streamers have shown that they truly care and will continue to reach out toward each other.
There isn’t enough talk about the good side of gaming. Everyone focuses on the toxicity or the violent natures of video games. As you can see, however, most people remember the humanity in others and will reach out to each other.
Luci
Luci is a novelist, freelance writer, and active blogger. A journalist at heart, she loves nothing more than interviewing the outliers of the gaming community who are blazing a trail with entertaining original content. When she’s not penning an article, coffee in hand, she can be found gearing her shieldmaiden or playing with her son at the beach.