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Gaming Study: Which State Has The Angriest Gamers?

By Michaela Shaw April 17, 2023
2 minute read

While gaming can be an enjoyable and relaxing pastime, it can also be frustrating. As gaming has become more competitive and demanding, players are more likely to experience frustration and anger when things don’t go their way.

In this study, we explore which US states have the angriest gamers. On the flip side, we also look at which states have the most chilled. The data has been collected through a survey of over 5,000 US gamers across all consoles and locations. We also look at some national findings on gaming anger.

Key Findings:

  • Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Louisiana have the angriest gamers.
  • Idaho, Delaware, North Carolina, Nevada, and Illinois have the most chilled gamers.
  • Xbox players report higher levels of anger than any other console/device.
  • 16% of gamers have broken something out of frustration.
  • 40% of gamers have sent an abusive message to an opponent.

Oklahoma Tops The Charts of Angriest Gamers

When asked to score their anger levels when gaming, residents of Oklahoma reported the highest numbers across the US. This was followed by Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Louisiana. In fact, the large majority of the angriest gamers reside in the South, with the South East taking the crown.

The state with the lowest gaming anger levels was Idaho, followed by Delaware, North Carolina, Nevada, and Illinois. Gamers in these locations reported hardly ever experiencing anger when playing. The West and The North West regions are significantly more relaxed when it comes to controlling their gaming frustration.

The National Numbers

Cross-platform rivalry is alive and well within the gaming community. But which type of gamers are the angriest? Our study finds that Xbox players experience the most gaming frustration, but only just, marginally beating PlayStation gamers. Those that game on mobile tend to do so for fun and don’t report anywhere near as much rage quitting.

The good news is that only 16% of Americans admit to breaking something out of gaming frustration. However, 40% claim to have sent an abusive message to an opponent after losing, with FIFA and Call of Duty players ranking the worst for such behavior.

Methodology

In April 2023, we surveyed 5,000 MLB gamers. We asked them where they lived, and on a scale of 1-10, how angry they get when they play. We then used this data to identify the angriest (and least angry) states. We also asked other questions, including which console they play and whether or not they’ve ever broken something out of anger while gaming or sent abusive messages.

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