When it comes to young people interacting with friends they’ve met through online gaming there's been a big rise in those connecting with their existing friends through gaming. It's like their real-world friendships have found a digital playground. It’s less about gaming alone now, and more about socialising within the gaming universe.

The pandemic had a significant impact on how young people connected with each other and this data probably reflects an extension of what's been going on with social media, where existing friendships are moving into the online gaming space. When the pandemic hit and locked everything down, young people had to find new ways to hang out with their mates. In-person friendships found a new home in online gaming.

We can't say for sure if this trend is still going strong because the data for more recent years shows the beginnings of a possible shift again. But it seems clear that the pandemic shook up what seemed like stable patterns between 2016 and 2019. The gaming world became a whole new way to connect.