There was a time—not too long ago—when video gaming was considered the ultimate anti-social hobby. It was the thing you did in a dark bedroom, a realm of Mountain Dew bottles, pixelated violence, and teenage escapism. Gamers were mocked in films, pigeonholed in media, and written off as nerds, loners, or worse, social outcasts. But in the last decade, something dramatic has happened. The gamer has not only emerged from the shadows but stepped into the spotlight with swagger, influence, and a surprising amount of sex appeal. Gaming today is no longer a hobby to hide—it’s a billion-dollar industry, a global cultural phenomenon, and a social powerhouse that rivals Hollywood and professional sports in audience size, revenue, and prestige.
The glow-up of gaming has been a long time coming, fueled…