A conversation does not always have to begin with someone asking, “How are you doing?”
Sometimes it starts while two people are running a mission, waiting for the next match, or talking between rounds of a game.
Research involving Veterans suggests that gaming can create an environment where conversation and social connection happen naturally. The game provides something to do together, which can take some of the attention away from the conversation itself.
That may be especially familiar to Veterans who spent years working as part of a team.
Conversation Without the Pressure
A 2018 study published in Social Science & Medicine interviewed 20 Veterans who regularly played video games and were receiving treatment for mental or behavioral health conditions.
Researchers found that participants used games for several reasons, including stress relief, distraction, socializing, and maintaining relationships. Some Veterans described gaming as a way to connect with people who shared similar interests or military experiences.
One participant described playing sports games with family members while talking about what was happening in their lives. The game did not replace the conversation: It created an activity around it.
Other Veterans talked about the sense of brotherhood they experienced while gaming with fellow service members and Veterans. Shared military language and experiences sometimes made those interactions feel familiar.
VA Research covered the study in 2019 and stated that the benefits participants described were not necessarily tied to a particular type of game. Connections with other players were among the factors Veterans credited with making gaming meaningful.
A Shared Mission Can Make Conversation Easier
Multiplayer games already give players something to talk about. Teams coordinate objectives, call out locations, solve problems, joke with each other, and react to what is happening on the screen.
Personal conversations can develop alongside that activity without becoming the sole focus of the interaction.
Talking while focused on a shared activity can make difficult conversations feel more natural, especially when the people involved already know and trust each other.
The military has plenty of similar situations. Conversations happen while working on equipment, standing watch, driving somewhere, or completing a task. Gaming can recreate part of that side-by-side dynamic even when Veterans live hundreds or thousands of miles apart.
Finding Community Online
A 2024 study published in Psychiatric Services evaluated Stack Up’s Overwatch Program, an online peer-support program operating within its gaming community.
Researchers found that military and Veteran participants valued the friendships and connections they developed in the community. Some participants also described turning to peer support when traditional services were unavailable or did not meet what they needed at the time.
Gaming Is Not the Same for Everyone
The research does not suggest that gaming automatically improves communication or prevents isolation.
The 2018 Veteran study included only 20 participants, and researchers also documented negative experiences. Some Veterans described excessive gaming or using games to isolate themselves. Other research involving Veterans has found that in-person social contact remains particularly important to mental health.
Gaming should not replace face-to-face relationships or professional support when someone needs it.
It can, however, provide another place where connections begin and continue.
A Veteran who might not call an old friend to talk may have no problem sending a message asking if they want to play that night. Once the headsets are on and the match begins, the conversation can go far beyond the game.
As someone that has been using gaming to help Veterans with mental health issues for over 20 years, I can tell you, gaming is the one of the greatest vehicles to help Veterans because of its basic social aspect and also because of gamings ability to naturally cause organic interactions.