While much of the UK is in lockdown, a new survey by cybersecurity experts BullGuard and system builder Chillblast has revealed that gamers are (unsurprisingly) playing more.
They’re also washing less during the lockdown, according to the findings.
The research surveyed more than 1,000 gamers aged 16 and over, and found that 1 in 5 admitted to missing showers, 29% didn’t go outside for over three days and 16% said they skipped cleaning their teeth.
84% say their gaming has increased due to lockdown, with 27% gaming for an extra five or more hours a day. Extra time spent online has proven to be a boon for gamers with nearly half (43%) of respondents being able to improve their gaming skills.
The survey also found that 49% are alleviating lockdown anxiety through gaming, 84% are understandably relieving their boredom, while 60% are battling it out online to help block out the current situation.
More than three quarters (77%) of respondents said they live with partners and family who have no issues with their lockdown gaming habits.
“It’s great to see how gaming across the board is helping people deal with the lockdown,” said Chillblast MD Ben Miles. “As a society we have more awareness about mental health and so it is heartening to see how gaming is helping with a sense of wellbeing.
“The results underline how gaming can play a major role to encourage many to follow the WHO’s health guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic, as demonstrated by the gaming industry’s #PlayApartTogether campaign, which has been hailed on Twitter by Ray Chambers, the WHO’s Ambassador for Global Strategy.”
Not only did respondents admit to spending more time on their consoles/PCs, 73% said they were spending more money on gaming too, with 16.6% even admitting to spending an additional £100 plus a month on in-game purchases, new games, hardware or other related items.
The survey further revealed that 84% of gamers are using antivirus protection and that 79% are not turning off their antivirus when gaming.
Paul Lipman, CEO at BullGuard, added: “The survey results demonstrate that gamers really are savvy all-rounders. They’re looking after their mental health, keeping themselves safe from cybercriminals and the increase in cyberattacks, as well as taking the Government’s crucial advice, which is to Stay Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives.”
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Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He has almost two decades of experience in journalism, and left Esports News UK in June 2025.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He also previously worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation.
