Gaming Addiction

Online multiplayer games such as PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty and Free Fire are designed to be highly engaging and rewarding. They use several built-in psychological and behavioural mechanisms that make players want to return to the game repeatedly. Over time, this can lead to excessive gaming and addictive behaviour patterns, especially among young people.

These games use a reward-based system to keep players motivated. In PUBG Mobile, for example, players receive daily sign-in rewards, Battle Points (BP), Experience Points (XP) and Rating Points after every match.

• BP allows players to make free in-app purchases.
• XP helps them increase their level.
• Rating Points determine rank and performance standing.

These systems create feelings of achievement and satisfaction. The constant flow of rewards acts as positive reinforcement, encouraging players to keep playing for longer periods.

The matchmaking algorithm pairs players with others of similar skill levels. This balance between challenge and success ensures that players win often enough to feel competent but lose occasionally to stay motivated.

This intermittent reward pattern mirrors behavioural conditioning, where unpredictable wins create excitement and anticipation. Even after multiple losses, the hope of winning again keeps players emotionally engaged.

As players move up the ranking system, losing costs more points while winning yields fewer. To recover from poor performance, players must play more matches. This design keeps them constantly trying to make up for lost ground.

The need to recover lost points creates performance pressure and compulsive play, where the player feels unable to stop until they perform better.

Games like PUBG Mobile are popular because they have low system requirements and are free to download. Anyone with a smartphone and internet connection can join easily. This low barrier to entry makes the game accessible to millions and increases the likelihood of overuse.

Multiplayer games encourage social interaction by linking players through their social media accounts. This allows them to form teams, chat and play with friends in real time.

Modes such as Squad Play create feelings of teamwork, friendship and belonging. The sense of connection and mutual trust known as camaraderie makes the experience more emotionally fulfilling and harder to let go of.

The realistic audio effects in these games allow players to detect movement and locate opponents using headphones. This creates a highly immersive experience that keeps players alert and emotionally charged. The body’s natural fight or flight response is repeatedly activated, producing excitement and energy that players find hard to resist.

Gaming addiction occurs when the pleasure and excitement from gaming become the main source of emotional satisfaction. Players start meeting needs such as achievement, belonging, power or fun primarily through gaming.

Over time, this can lead to neglecting studies, work or relationships and feeling anxious or restless when unable to play. The combination of rewards, social connection and competition makes these games psychologically compelling and habit-forming.