Gatekeeping the Gatekeepers: An Exploratory Study of Transformative Games Fandom & TikTok Algorithms

Within fandoms, gatekeeping practices such as delineating authentic from fake fans filter out certain identities. While the types of fans excluded vary by fandom, mainstream digital games culture–and the hegemonic, masculine groups within it–frequently leverage gatekeeping tactics like harassment to silence or churn others (i.e., women) from participating. While there has been considerable scholarship documenting gatekeeping in online digital games there has been less examination of this occurring within video game fandom. We conducted an exploratory study to investigate gatekeeping in response to TikTok videos about Call of Duty's masculine operator Ghost. We found more comments qualifying as celebratory fun than gatekeeping. We argue that social media spaces by virtue of their recommendation algorithms are productive sites for reimagining games counter to affirmational readings within relatively niche communities.

The tension between tradition and transformation

The Problem: Toxic Gatekeeping in Gaming

Historically, "hardcore" gaming spaces have used gatekeeping (harassment, "fake fan" tests) to exclude women, queer people, and people of color. The study uses the Call of Duty character Ghost as a case study for how these groups are often silenced.

The Algorithm as a Shield

The most provocative finding of the study is that TikTok’s recommendation algorithm might be "gatekeeping the gatekeepers." By creating insulated content pockets (the "For You" page), the algorithm allows niche, transformative communities to flourish without being exposed to the hostility of mainstream "affirmational" fans.

Transformative vs. Affirmational Fandoms

• Affirmational: Fans who focus on the "official" version of the game/character as intended by the creators.

• Transformative: Fans who reimagine, queer, or creatively interpret characters (e.g., "thirst traps" or fan fiction). The blog should explain how TikTok empowers the latter, allowing them to "reimagine" games in a safe, celebratory space.

Key Takeaway

Intelligence Insight: We often view algorithms as polarizing "echo chambers," but for marginalized fans, these chambers act as safe havens. For brands, this means understanding that a single IP (like Call of Duty) doesn't have one "fandom," but many distinct, algorithmically-divided communities that require different engagement styles.

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Sage Journals / Jessica E. Tompkins, Ashley ML Guajardo (née Brown)