Game Theory: Feeling ALONE? How Fortnite can HELP! (Fortnite Battle Royale)

MatPat plays Fortnite with guests Drake and Ninja while responding to accusations of faking gameplay videos.

Shows hands on screen in upper right corner during gameplay to demonstrate he is actually playing.

Can online battle royale games like Fortnite and PUBG have positive social effects on players, particularly helping introverts build friendships?

Parents and news outlets often claim video games cause violent behavior and create social outcasts, but the evidence is questioned.

330,000 survey responses collected from countries worldwide including the US, Canada, Spain, and Brazil.

• Which battle royale games do you play • Gaming habits and frequency • Personality type using Myers-Briggs personality test with 16 categories

Nearly 25% of respondents identified as INFP (Mediators), compared to only 4% in the general population.

• Reserved and shy with introverted tendencies • Feel misunderstood and tend to withdraw • Seek escape through passions like art, writing, poetry, and video games • Have strong inner emotionality despite quiet exterior

Three personality types (INFP, INTP, ENFP) account for 50% of gamer responses but only 14% of the worldwide population.

• INTP (Logicians): 3% of population, immerse in debating ideas and theories • ENFP (Campaigners): 7% of population, crave freedom and creativity

ESTP types (Entrepreneurs) are most likely to keep voice chat on at 66%, compared to 44% for introverts and 58% average across all types.

Battle royale games show a 60/40 split favoring extroverts, but still maintain a significant majority of introverted players.

• Battle Royalers: play both Fortnite and PUBG regularly • Pub Nighters: play one or the other occasionally • Non-players: do not usually play battle royale games

Players reporting a lot of close friends in-person increased from 18% (non-players) to 28% (occasional players) to 35% (hardcore battle royale players).

Following up with people met in games via Discord or Skype increased from 33% (non-players) to 44% (occasional players) to 53% (battle royale players).

Team-based battle royale games require communication to coordinate strategies, trap enemies, and avoid blocking teammates' building plans.

Data was separated by introvert and extrovert personality types to eliminate extraversion as a confounding variable.

• Real-life friends: increased from 11% (non-players) to 22% (battle royale players) • Online follow-ups via Discord: increased from 32% to 52%

• Real-life friends: increased from 40% to 55% (15% boost) • Online follow-ups: also showed significant increases

28% of non-players consider online contacts as real friends, compared to 44% of battle royale players, indicating genuine long-lasting relationships.

Studies show that games with physical separation and visual anonymity can create the same level of bonding as in-person interactions.

The study 'Social Interactions and Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games' found 27% of male and 47% of female players attracted to other players they never met in real life.

Playing cooperative or competitive team-based games promotes positive teamwork and social skills better than solo competitive play.

Pro-social behaviors acquired from cooperative gameplay can last for months after gaming stops, creating lasting improvements to social behavior.

Shyness is often caused by excessive emotional sensitivity, which can lead to feeling judged and stressed during in-person social interactions.

Physical anonymity and separation in online games help people with high emotional sensitivity communicate more clearly and comfortably.

Gaming provides a safe space for emotionally sensitive people to develop social attachments and build confidence before meeting in person.

Gaming could help create a generation that more evenly distributes social skills among the masses, allowing previously isolated people to develop these abilities.

Battle royale gaming does not cause increased aggression and actively helps gamers grow socially and find new friendships.

• Gamers represent small percentages of certain personality types in the world • Our unique combination of traits makes our worldview difficult for non-gamers to understand • People tend to vilify what they don't understand

The situation is far from the bleak picture outsiders paint, and spreading awareness about gamer psychology can help bridge the gap between gaming and non-gaming communities.

MatPat thanks viewers for 10 million subscribers and mentions future Fortnite theory content in development.

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