Extremists exploit gaming platforms as radicalisation channels in S-E Asia

They interact with players and seed violent ideas in ways that feel casual and concealed

- Hariz Baharudin Correspondent and Arlina Arshad Indonesia Bureau Chief

Online gaming platforms such as PUBG: Battlegrounds and Roblox have become digital playgrounds for millions of young gamers, but the same features that draw players in are also being exploited for harmful purposes.

Observers said extremist networks across Southeast Asia have turned these gaming spaces into channels for radicalisation, shifting their recruitment tactics from social media platforms to these immersive worlds where young people spend hours each day.

By blending into these environments, they interact with players directly and seed violent or exclusionary ideas in ways that feel casual and concealed, masking harmful narratives within ordinary gameplay.

The threat has materialised in recent incidents across the region, with the Indonesian and Malaysian governments reviewing whether these games require new restrictions.

“Gaming platforms, which are popular among young people, have the capacity to normalise violence in real life through virtual training simulations,” said Dr Mustafa Iz-zuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at policy and business consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore.

“(Therefore), extremist or terrorist groups have vigorously leveraged them to amplify their influence and boost their recruitment.”

Terrorist groups have shown “astonishing adaptability” in recruitment efforts by creating fake profiles and curated in-game identities that hide their links to extremist groups, added Dr Mustafa, who is also a visiting professor in international relations at the Islamic University of Indonesia.

Such risks deepen when young users enter gaming spaces while dealing with loneliness, stress or unmet emotional needs — vulnerabilities that extremist recruiters deliberately target through the trust-building features of multiplayer games.