The Truth Behind Video Games & Their Psychological Impact - Michael Kasumovic

Players use violent games to test themselves against others, learn where they sit in a hierarchy, and get frequent feedback on competence—satisfying evolved drives to gauge and improve status without real physical danger.

Across studies, people (men and women) who are more motivated to find mates, and who view themselves as higher-quality partners, are more likely to choose and play violent video games frequently, likely because these games feel like status-relevant arenas.

Doing poorly in a violent game lowers people’s self-assessed desirability as a mate, whereas non-violent games do not show this effect—implying that only status-coded competitive environments directly feed into mating self-concept.

In Halo data, men who performed worse than a perceived female teammate were significantly more hostile and sexist, suggesting they react defensively when a woman threatens their already-low status within a shared hierarchy.

Violent games can make players feel tougher and more willing to face stronger opponents, but also seem to blunt sensitivity to anger cues—hinting that physiological arousal or desensitization may impair threat detection in real life.