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Extremist identity creation through performative infighting on Steam

The video game marketplace Steam has long hosted a lively social network for the purpose of connecting game players and game developers. Over the past 5 year...

For instance, the so-called “Saints culture,” wherein large-scale online communities have developed a process of canonizing and deifying mass shooters, has been described as possessing a “cumulative momentum” driving participants toward extremism, despite no clear membership, leadership, or strategic goals ( Macklin, 2022). Several group names suggest knowledge of and admiration for Order of Nine Angles and Tempel ov Blood, particularly violent networks of neo-fascists that have engaged in crimes such as terrorism, ritual murder, and child exploitation ( Upchurch, 2021; Shah et al., 2023). Other group names are indicative of links to the Trollwaffen network, a loosely affiliated band of white supremacists, neo-fascists, and other extremists defined by its commitment to adversarial Internet behavior, coordinated harassment, and frequent evasions of platform bans ( Newhouse and Kowert, 2024).

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