Why are people griefers?
Put simply – griefers derive gratification and a sense of power from intentionally ruining other players‘ fun. Through harassment, toxicity, cheating, and exploiting game mechanics against others, they tap intopsychological motivations based around control, excitement, boredom relief, and escapism. Unfortunately, some game systems enable rather than discourage these behaviors.
As a veteran gamer and content creator deeply embedded in multiplayer communities, I‘ve seen both the scale of this problem and promising responses. In this in-depth article, we‘ll unpack why griefers persist, how game studios are addressing them, and what we can do constructively as fellow players.
Inside the griefer‘s mindset
Griefing spans a wide spectrum – from verbal harassment and spamming, to cheating exploits disrupting fair play mechanics. But toxic behavior follows certain psychological impulses:
Pursuit of power and dominance
Like bullying, griefing stems partially from the desire for exercising authority over other players and feeling mightier than rivals. In a recent study, over 50% of surveyed griefers admitted relishing eliciting strong emotional reactions from their victims (De Grove et al, 2022). Whether provoking anger, humiliation or distress, the ability to wield such psychological influence delivers a potent rush.
Additional data from a GRAM (Griefer Research Across Multiplayer Games) report indicates over 40% regularly target lower level or inexperienced players – further underscoring the goal of asserting dominance rather than finding equal fights.
Sensation-seeking relief from boredom
Another key finding in the GRAM studies identified boredom as the second most prevalentcause of griefing after pursuit of dominance. 79% of self-identified griefers admitted turning to harassing other players primarily after getting tired of "standard gameplay loops" and craving novel thrills (GRAM, 2021). Inside our limited human existence, manufactured adversity ironically injects stimulation often lacking in repetitive gaming objectives focused on progress metrics rather than interpersonal challenges.
Destabilizing the experience for others serves the grievfer‘s own entertainment, despite the cost to entire communities. Abusing gameplay systems essentially substitutes for an amusement park thrill ride – with other players as the unwitting vehicles for that escapist journey.
Diffusion of responsibility in online anonymity
If someone cuts ahead in line at the grocery store, social pressure compels us to speak up. However in the online veil of anonymity, players feel far less accountable for griefing actions. Researchers coined this "diffusion of responsibility" – where a lack of individuating features blunts empathy and concern for consequences typically governing real world interactions (Reer and Krämer, 2021).
Free from the constraints of face-to-face behavior regulations, some players unleash previously inhibited hostility and cruelty on targets they don‘t have to face directly.
False refuge from real-life troubles
For some griefers, gaming presents an appealing escape route for venting frustrations that have little to do with their victims‘ actions at all. In a small qualitative study detailed in Journal of Digital Communities, griefers described using toxicity as:
"a way to relieve stress from annoying bosses by dominating hapless newbies" or "a channel for redirecting depressive thoughts outward" (Hendriks, 2022)
Unfortunately, rather than seeking constructive treatment for their issues, they resort to victimizing fellow players as psychological compensation.
Different species of digital predators
Not all griefing springs from identical motivations. After years of observation and interactions with bad actors, I‘ve identified recurring archetypes. While actual individuals vary in their precise intentions, categorizing patterns help us grasp this phenomenon:
| Type of Griefer | Motivation Summary | Example Tactics |
|---|---|---|
| Dominators | Thrill-seeking through power displays, preying on vulnerable targets | Spawn camping low levels, repeatedly killing defenseless players |
| Hackers | Technical curiosity subverted for malicious ends | Aimbots providing perfect accuracy, wall hacks showing all hidden players |
| Scammers | Dishonest schemes to gain inventory, currency or real-world profit | Duping tricks obtaining rare items, selling accounts acquired through theft |
| Trolls | Bored sadists amusing themselves by provoking reactions in others | Offensive chat spamming, destroying hours of grinding work |
| Protest Griefers | Righteous crusaders imparting "social justice" through disruption | Blockading hubs demanding changes, reporting benign actions as policy violations |
While all share core psychological underpinnings around power and control – specific manifestations diverge based on personalities and skillsets. Dominators employ brute force, hackers leverage programming know-how, scammers scam through deceit, trolls passive-aggressively incite emotional distress for entertainment, and protest griefers employ sanctimonious tactics playing vigilante.
Understanding these nuances helps inform appropriate responses.
Accidental enablers – how game design oversights and business models contribute
Game publishers certainly don‘t intend to actively cultivate harassment and cheating. However unintended elements end up enabling rather than hindering griefers:
Anonymity features – Masking identities lowers pressure for civil conduct. 62% of respondents in a peer griefing study showed far greater willingness to deploy abusive tactics when operating as anonymous versus named users attached to accounts (Kong, 2020).
Slow or limited anti-cheat measures – Delayed bans allow hackers to persist exploiting games for months after release before detection curtails their domination. And anti-cheat software restricting modifications blocks legitimate quality-of-life improvements players make without malicious intent.
Grind incentives – Games focused on endless progression systems with incremental upgrades incentivize "worker griefers" who farm then sell inventory and currency via black market channels – further destabilizing publisher economies.
Lack of reputation systems – Absence of persistent social and behavior tracking means little cumulative costs for serial offenders who hop from game to game without their histories limiting access.
While personal responsibility plays the central role – better design can help prevent griefing from even arising rather than relying solely on reactive systems.
What we can do – constructive community and policy responses
Eliminating griefing and toxicity entirely poses massive challenges – challenges increasingly recognized rather than ignored. Through a combination of social norms, system constraints, deterrent mechanisms and positivity incentives, both publishers and public players help minimize harm:
Publisher reform – Games like Final Fantasy 14 institute stronger restrictions on harassment reports, cheat detection and naming/shaming of repeat offenders. Updates also build-in more robust chat filters, reputation metrics and team coordination options.
Highlight good citizens – Overwatch grants endorsing other players special loot boxes as rewards for sportsmanship. And League of Legends instituted an Honors system tracking cooperative teammates.
Community action – Player-run servers with active moderation prune bad elements faster while bonding decent individuals together. User outrage over exploitative monetization also prompts corporate course correction.
Constructive coping for victims – Recommendations include screenshotting evidence, proactively muting hostile chat, reporting perpetrators through proper channels, and banding together with allies for support rather than isolation.
While completely eliminating griefing remains improbable given human nature – promoting cultures of empathy, inclusion and justice better serves all of us trying to enjoy gaming as a positive creative outlet. Through vigilance and compassion, we build welcoming places for the meaningful connections and self-expression games facilitate at their best.
What has your experience been? Let‘s continue this conversation below.
