When games stop escaping reality: The collapse and reconstruction of the gaming lifeworld during the Iran–Israel missile attacks

Video games are often viewed as resources for coping, emotional regulation, and resilience during adversity. However, little is known about gamers’ experiences when both everyday life and gaming-related resources are disrupted. This interpretive phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 15 Iranian gamers during the Iran–Israel missile attacks through semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Diekelmann et al.’s hermeneutic phenomenological method, with Conservation of Resources (COR) theory as an interpretive framework. Four themes emerged: collapse of the gaming lifeworld, digital solidarity and relational reconnection, reclaiming agency through gamer identity, and reconstructing everyday life and future horizons. The findings indicate that the coping value of gameplay was uneven rather than uniformly absent, while the social and symbolic dimensions of gaming continued to provide connection and support for several participants. These findings add nuance to existing research by suggesting that the significance of gaming during severe crises may extend beyond gameplay itself to the relationships, identities, and communities that form around it.