Most Australian children aged nine to 14 play video games but, for many, the fun is overshadowed by abuse.
Adelaide teenager Cody (whose surname is not being published for privacy reasons) says online gaming has become a “bullying hellhole” where some players are routinely told to kill themselves or “jump off a bridge”.
“I’ve come across hundreds of players who get called very bad things,” Cody told 7NEWS.com.au.
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“Some feel like bullying will never end — it’s an endless loop they can’t escape.”
The 15-year-old says the problem is so severe he created his own online support group for victims, after witnessing players spiral into despair.
“I started because I know I can give people the support they deserve,” Cody said.
Cody said he has approached Fortnite developer Epic Games directly, urging it to remove serial abusers from the gaming platform. So far, he said, there has been little to no response.
Epic Games, founded in 1991 and headquartered in North Carolina, is one of the world’s largest gaming companies. Best known for creating Fortnite, Rocket League and the Unreal Engine, the company has more than 4000 staff worldwide and runs the Epic Games Store, which boasts hundreds of millions of accounts.
Its flagship title Fortnite alone has drawn more than 400 million registered players globally, making it one of the most influential gaming platforms in history.
Despite its size and reach, Cody believes Epic is failing to protect its community.
“Players have said they will kill themselves because they feel like bullying is the end of their world,” he said.
“There should be more restrictions in gaming — players should be banned the second they say something wrong.”
Gaming platforms are exempt from the Albanese government’s forthcoming social media ban for under 16s, sparking warnings from experts that harmful content will continue to thrive.
RMIT Associate Professor Lauren Gurrieri says gaming influencers wield “immense cultural authority” and often reinforce damaging gender norms.
“Followers feel a strong personal connection with influencers, even though the relationship is one-sided,” she said.
“This misplaced sense of ‘knowing’ gives influencers even more power.”
‘Time to take responsibility’
Research shows one in five teen gamers have witnessed hate speech, while more than one in 10 have heard misogynistic ideas shared in gaming spaces.
RMIT Centre for Human-AI Information Environments director Professor Lisa Given warns that other gaming platforms such as Roblox — with 380 million global users — are also vulnerable.
“Gaming environments can present potentially harmful content,” she said.
“Parents need to be vigilant about what their children are exposed to.”
Roblox has pledged to roll out new safety measures in Australia by the end of 2025, following pressure from the eSafety Commissioner. Accounts for under-16s will be private by default, and adult users will be blocked from contacting children without parental consent.
“The time has come for platforms to take real responsibility for the safety of their users,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in September.
The federal government has also committed to introducing a “duty of care” for online services, reinforcing the principle that safety must be built into platforms from the ground up.
The eSafety Commissioner is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety and can investigate serious cases of cyberbullying, adult cyber abuse, image-based abuse (such as the non-consensual sharing of intimate images), and illegal or restricted online content.
People can lodge a report through the official eSafety website, where they’ll be guided to the correct form depending on the type of harm.
If platforms (which include online gaming) fail to remove harmful material, eSafety has the power to step in, request takedowns, and enforce compliance with industry codes
For Cody, the changes can’t come soon enough. He says bullied players are being left to fend for themselves, and that gaming companies must act faster.
“We only need to work together to stop all bullying,” he said.
In a statement Epic Games said its platform has clear community rules and it bans bullying of any sort.
“Epic Games has clear Community Rules that prohibit bullying, discrimination and harassment, and players who violate the rules are subject to Epic’s enforcement consequences, all the way up to a permanent ban. We provide in-game mechanisms for blocking and muting, and players can use voice and text reporting to submit audio or text messages as evidence to report suspected violations of our rules. Voice and text reporting are always on in conversations that include players under 18,” spokesperson Cat McCormack told 7NEWS.com.au.
“When a player creates a Fortnite account and indicates they are under 15, they cannot access certain features, like voice or text chat, until a parent provides consent. Once they do, using parental controls, parents can choose who their child can communicate with: ‘Everybody’, ‘Friends and Teammates’, ‘Friends Only’, or turn chat off entirely”.
If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
For further information about depression contact beyondblue on 1300 224 636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.
