This article discusses how playing the video game Destiny, a massively multiplayer online (MMO) first-person shooter (FPS) with role playing elements, fosters sports-like engagement and fan cultures around the game. Similar to other video games in the MMO genre, one of Destiny’s key elements are interaction loops designed to keep players collecting scarce resources and waiting for specific hard-to-get loot drops. Another key element is cooperative play of up to six players. This combination has led to a strong community both in and around the game. Using a series of four case studies, this article outlines how playing an MMO and FPS interplays with sports experiences and fan culture around a game. The case studies are reflected on in the
context of game and media studies literature. The following links between play, fan culture and sports are identified: the Meta, where players gather and analyze data to optimize gameplay strategies; the magnification of exploits and cheating as a consequence of social exchange; social behavior in and around
the game caught between optimizing progress and socializing; the convergence of multiple media channels blurring the line between active and passive game consumption; also leading to a hybridization of play, permeating real life; sports-like narratives and experiences; and competitive behavior that bears analogy to
sports.
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