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"Video games are a waste of time for men with nothing else to do. Real brains don't do that,” is what renowned author Ray Bradbury said, echoing a sentiment that has long pervaded discussions about gaming. For as long as I remember, authority figures have dismissed games as a waste of time. News headlines often blame them for promoting violence, reducing productivity, or causing addiction, reinforcing the perception that games are at best a mindless hobby and at worst a harmful influence. However, as a game design major, I believe that video games, like any other medium, have the potential to convey powerful messages and provoke critical thinking. Just as books, films, and music have been used to challenge perspectives and address societal issues, games can serve as a vehicle for storytelling, learning, and even social activism. The stereotype of video games as shallow escapism ignores the emotional and intellectual engagement they can foster. Arknights, a 2D strategy game, is one such example. When I first downloaded it, I did not realize the impact this game would have on me. Despite the common conception of video games as “mindless entertainment” and “a waste of time”, the case study of the game Arknights shows how games that attempt to be meaningful can do so effectively and offer real social impact.

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Fiction often draws inspiration from real-world events, and Arknights skillfully blends real-life issues with its fiction to create engaging and moving narratives, spreading awareness and encouraging players to further investigate. The game's narrative revolves around a pandemic caused by a disease called Oripathy. In this world, Oripathy is incurable and spreads through contact with Originium, a dangerous material. If this sounds familiar at all, the real world has similarly been impacted with a pandemic, COVID-19. What makes Arknights stand out is how its writers weave social issues into the story. The game’s world is not black and white, reflecting the nuances and complexity of reality. In the game, those infected with Oripathy face discrimination and are treated as second-class citizens. The Sarkaz race, believed to be the origin of the disease, is often scapegoated and the subject of hate crimes. This mirrors the increase in anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 outbreak. Data from the Anti-Asian Hate Crime Report in 2021 revealed that hate crimes against the Asian population increased by 145% in the sixteen largest US cities in 2020 compared to 2019. According to an Ipsos poll, more than 30% of respondents had seen someone blaming the Asian population for the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But discrimination did not end there. During the pandemic, the UK's Metropolitan Police were found to be 2.17 times more likely to issue fines to Black individuals for lockdown violations than to the general population, reflecting ongoing racial disparities even in times of crisis. Arknights captures this reality, portraying a world where racial, political, and social divides persist despite shared struggles. For instance, there are two factions, the Victorians and Tarans. When faced with the Oripathy crisis, both groups decided to place the blame on each rather than trying to contain the issue together. This adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, showing that shared struggles don’t erase the realities of existing social divides. This nuanced storytelling highlights an uncomfortable truth: crises don’t always unite people, instead they often exacerbate existing divisions.

Despite these dark themes, Arknights also highlights moments of hope and resilience. Even amidst the suffering, there are characters who risk their own safety to help others. One of the main characters, Amiya, despite being young and infected with Oripathy, still heads into warzones to rescue those in need, and retains a hopeful view in life. These stories of compassion within Arknights offer a nuanced portrayal of human nature, showing that even in a world torn by division, there is room for hope and positive change. This is an aspect of their writing that I find especially impactful. It’s critical to bring awareness to the problems plaguing the world, but I believe adding in a hopeful direction is inspiring and encourages people to take action. I saw a video on social media that was an edit of scenes from Arknights. As the video continues, however, it kept the quotes said by Arknights characters on screen while paralleling it with imagery from real life, which went on to garner millions of views. In the comments, players reflected on the deep themes of the game and how it helped them get through hard times, such as the pandemic lockdown. This is a testament to how games like Arknights can inspire change and spark meaningful conversations.

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Beyond the depth of Arknights’ story, what I found truly influential and surprising was the game’s passionate developers and community, who defied common negative stereotypes about gaming culture and generated real social impact. While Arknights’ narrative explores a fictional pandemic that parallels COVID-19, its developers didn’t stop at raising awareness. They decided to take action. Hypergryph, the company behind Arknights, donated half a million dollars to COVID-19 vaccine research, demonstrating a commitment to making a tangible difference beyond storytelling. Arknights is also able to cleverly maintain the entertaining aspect of games while also keeping the social impact aspect. In 2021, the game collaborated with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), an organization dedicated to environmental preservation and protecting endangered species. Given that Arknights’ characters are inspired by animals, the developers creatively incorporated endangered species into special in-game character skins. These skins were available for purchase, with all proceeds going directly to WWF. This collaboration not only engaged players with exclusive content but also allowed them to contribute to a meaningful cause, blending in-game rewards with real-world philanthropy.

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A common criticism of corporate charity efforts is that they are merely for publicity; they just want to appear generous rather than to effect real change. However, I would like to argue against this. First of all, even if they are just doing it for fame, it is undeniable that the money they donated is going to a good cause. In the case of WWF, they use the donations they receive to actively fight climate change by advocating for renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions, and protecting forests that act as carbon sinks. Second of all, at least in the case of Arknights, Hypergryph is truly contributing to charity for altruistic purposes. Fans of the game discovered that Hypergryph had secretly donated a million dollars worth of supplies to underprivileged schools. Unlike typical PR-driven donations, this was never publicly announced and only accidentally uncovered by fans, supporting Hypergryph’s genuine commitment to social impact. Furthermore, their donation was to specifically help disabled students in rural areas. Especially in China, disabled people are often neglected, and there is little to no advocacy for them. The fact that Hypergryph chose to donate to a minority that has very little publicity is telling that they are truly attempting to invoke change. In fact, Hypergryph’s commitment to charitable work earned them the Shanghai Charity Award, a biennial accolade that recognizes individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to public welfare and charitable activities in Shanghai. It was surreal to see a game company being ranked among a list of organizations focused specifically on charitable work. 

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The impact of Arknights extends beyond the developers, as their actions have earned praise and inspired the game’s community to also play a significant role in fostering positive change. Touched by Hypergryph’s charitable efforts, many players have independently organized their own fundraising campaigns, using the game’s popularity to rally donations for various causes. ZC, a popular chinese streamer with over two million subscribers, did a series of Arknights challenges. Players would donate money to increase the challenge or add new gimmicks. All the money raised during the stream was then going to be donated towards relief efforts. There is also a very popular annual player-versus-player tournament hosted by players, and all of the proceeds earned from the tournament are donated to charity, proving that gaming communities are more than just online spaces for discussion; they can be forces for good. Yangyan is a content creator who focuses on breaking down the narrative of Arknights, citing real-world parallels and how Arknights approaches these difficult social issues, demonstrating how games can be a tool for learning and advocacy. These efforts challenge the outdated notion that gaming culture is unproductive. Instead, Arknights and its community illustrate how games can help generate responsibility, inspiring both developers and players to engage in real-world issues. 

 

Originally, I used to think that games were simply played for fun. However after I began playing Arknights, I found myself searching up these related social issues myself. I wanted to see what social issues Arknights was basing their narrative off of. Traditional classroom learning never left the same impression on me, yet a video game managed to spark my curiosity and drive me to seek knowledge on my own. I never spend money on games, but I felt that it was worth it to purchase the WWF collaboration skin, because I was actually contributing to something meaningful. This is the educational power of games; they engage players in ways that conventional methods often fail to. Arknights didn’t just inspire me. It motivated others, including my friends, to pursue game design with purpose. More games are now following its lead. Reverse: 1999, a game released in 2023, incorporates historical crises into its narrative, influenced by Arknights’ approach. As the gaming industry evolves, I hope more developers and the general population can embrace the potential of games to be not just entertainment, but powerful tools for education and change.