Entertainment software association (ESA) showed Survey result Highlighting the benefits of sports for American veterans, 77% of veterans said that they believe that sports have a positive impact on their lives.
The ESA stated that the vast majority of the respondents indicated that the video game provides a healthy outlet for stress and anxiety (86%), helps to cope with difficult times (81%), provides a valuable means of staying connected with others (77%) and video game communities have positive effects on their mental and emotional -well beating (74%). He said that there is a way for ESA to support veterans during military appreciation.
Similarly, when asked to reflect their time in service, he indicated that playing video games helped and escaped the stresses of military life (85%), promoted morale and strengthened the comrades (78%) and provided an effective equipment to promote teamwork and cooperation (73%).
Pierre-Luis said, “We have seen the benefits of video games beyond entertainment for a long time, and this new data provides a particularly hypnotic example of sports power.” “We are very proud of the positive impact of playing video games in supporting mental health, promoting social relations and increasing overall welfare, and deeply rewarded to know that these benefits are felt by those who have served our country.”
Stephen Machuga, a experienced and founder and executive director To pile upA non-profit organization dedicated to supporting veteran mental health through video gaming said, “Every day, I see that positive effects are on veterans and service members in the video game. Video games have proved to be a powerful tool for stress relief, a way to connect with friends and fellow service members and a positive outlet for comfort and mental health.”
Pierre-Luis said, “There is an increasing body of research that confirm the positive mental, social and emotional benefits of playing video games.” “We wanted to understand how those research findings apply to the American experienced population, and we were really pleased with the results that came. So our 2025 survey among our 2025 veterans shows that playing video games has a positive impact on their mental health and emotional welfare that helps them to be associated with others.”
He said, “While the giants definitely play for entertainment, they play stress and anxiety and to stay connected with each other and friends, who really have well related to good research, which we have done on all population, you know, and we have seen the efforts of organizations such as non -profit groups.
In terms of some specific findings, on average, ESA found that video games were veteran men. I think it is about 63% of male, 37 years old, college educated, full -time working, married to children at home, and were listed for six years on an average.
“Most giants believe that video games provide a healthy outlet for stress relief and anxiety and contribute to social and emotional welfare,” Pierre-Luis said. “You will see some statistics in the study that 86% feel that playing video games offers a healthy ‘outlet’.”
Who are they and how/what are they playing?
In addition to the influence and role of video games in the life of American veterans, the survey discovered who they are playing, how they play and what they are playing. On average, experienced video gamers are men, 37 years old, college educated, full -time working and married to children at home. He was listed and served on an average six years.
The vast majority (79%) are playing with others on a weekly basis. They prefer to play on a console (74%) on individual computers (63%) and smartphones (62%) and enjoy playing a variety of games in styles. Asked what they play the most often, their top preference action shooter game (55%), roll-playing (RPG/MMORPG) and multiplayer online Battle Arena (MOBA) game (39%), sports (31%) and action-adventure (28%).
“When it comes to making this connection, we found that video games bring giants together,” said Pierre-Luis.
Survey procedure
Yougov conducted an online survey between 22 to 50-year-old PC/console video gamers in the US from 14-27 January 2025 to understand the influence and role of video games in the life of American giants. Sample size = 1,096 experienced video gamers, 508 non-veteran video gamers.
Established in 2015, stack up brings both veterans and citizens together through a shared love of gaming and gaek culture. The stack up overwatch program (Stop) and their Los Angeles Community Center at Stack Up Overwatch Program (Stop) and their Los Angeles Community Center, Falanx House, through programs such as supply boxes, sports and gear boxes, have helped to compete with more than 60,000 US and allid military service members to compel their suicide.
The veterans have a difficult moment, like the Veterans Administration, there is a federal pruning in government institutions in the US. Pierre-Luis said that the time of the report is a coincidence, as the ESA intended to convince the veterans at the beginning of the military appreciation.
Pierre-Luis said, “We have heard from military giants (positive results from playing games). We have heard it from Congress members who serve in respective committees. We wanted to test how common research on effective sports could apply to American experienced population,” said Pierre-Luis. “We heard a lot about it, and so we really did so, thinking how we can contribute to great stories about our veterans during the month of military history.”
This is the first time ESA made a report on veterans and sports. Stack up’s Machuga Los Angeles will be one of our speakers at our Gamesbit Summit 2025 event on May 19-20. ESA is also doing a session on reaching video games at our event.
Pierre-Luis said, “We only found that there is an opportunity to tie the game and what they were doing is really an opportunity to provide relief from the anxiety and stress.” “When it comes to making connections, we found that video games bring veterans together. We focused on veterans, but they also talked about the effect that it was positive during their active service. So we saw that as a net plus that affects them positively during service, but also helped to maintain those core connections.”
