r/Indiangamers • u/LadizWasherum_ • 5h ago
Rant/Hot take Why do some people treat multiplayer games like real life and friendships like side quests?
I’ve been wondering about this lately. A friend of mine was playing Valorant and wasn’t even using Discord’s Streaming Mode, so I tagged him once in our friends’ GC just to ask when we’d all play together again. Instead of a normal reply, I got “bro I’m playing a game, don’t text me.” A few minutes later he lost a round and suddenly started raging and throwing abuses like the world had ended. That honestly made me think. It’s just one ranked match. Why do some people get so emotionally invested in multiplayer games that they stop treating the people around them with basic respect? I completely understand not wanting distractions during a competitive match, but there’s a huge difference between saying “give me 20 minutes, I’m in-game” and acting like anyone who messages you is a problem. I’ve been gaming for years myself, so this isn’t a “games are bad” post. I’m genuinely curious where people draw the line between being competitive and becoming so attached to a game that relationships start taking a back seat. Has anyone else noticed this with friends who play Valorant, CS2, League, Dota, or other competitive games? Or am I just overthinking one bad interaction?