When COVID-19 swept across the globe in 2020, governments offered little more than contradictory mask advice and vague stay-home orders. In New York City, one player found himself three months into lockdown, leaving his apartment only six times since Friday, March 13. The city that never sleeps had gone quiet. Concerts, outdoor drinking, and crowded summer nights were impossible. Work was lighter, but anxiety was heavy. Cocktail delivery and a friend’s HBO Go password helped a little. Yet the one thing that truly held him together was video games.
A Virtual Refuge in a Frightening World
He was not alone. Millions of players turned to games as lockdowns stretched on. Development teams responded with updates, events, and launches that gave people something to do, something to feel, and somewhere to go without leaving home. Was it just entertainment? No. For many, it was a mental health lifeline. 🎮
Apex Legends introduced Season 5: Fortune’s Favor after a week-long delay caused by the pandemic. According to a press release, it became the most successful season launch to date. Anecdotally, the player put hundreds of hours into the game since the pandemic began. VALORANT launched early, with its creators saying they wanted to bring more entertainment to people as the crisis lingered. Fortnite hosted one-of-a-kind events, including a psychedelic Travis Scott concert and shows featuring Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, and Dillon Francis. Animal Crossing: New Horizons was already scheduled for mid-March, but its frequent updates kept players busy. Call of Duty: Warzone did the same. Even small indie teams with loyal followings kept working to keep their games fresh.
A contrarian might say these companies pushed updates only for profit. That person might argue developers worked out of fear, afraid to lose their jobs in an uncertain climate. But if profit were the only driver, what would stop executives from simply leaning harder into microtransactions? Love them or hate them, microtransactions are a sure-fire way to keep people spending. So why did so many teams focus on content, fixes, and community events instead? The answer seems to be a sense of collective duty. It comes from passion for the games, love for fans, and deep appreciation for the communities that support their work. Project leaders, designers, writers, marketers, and executives understood they had a responsibility. They were providing refuge for people who might otherwise be putting themselves in positions to spread a terrible illness.
By many accounts, these teams worked harder than ever. Gaming industry workers had to adapt rapidly to remote work. Many studio employees have children, so they rearranged their lives to care for them and support remote learning. Working in pajama pants sounds fun, but it comes with real challenges. The interpersonal spark of a studio—the whiteboard sessions, the quick desk chats, the shared laughs—was gone. Yet they continued to deliver new content to keep players engaged.
It is easy to forget that the people making and supporting your favorite summer games are going through abrupt changes in their own lives. In 2026, the pandemic’s immediate terror has faded, but its lessons linger. The industry now faces new pressures: layoffs, consolidation, debates over AI, and live-service fatigue. Even so, the gratitude from those lockdown days should not disappear. Developers may not be considered essential in the context of everyday living, but they proved essential for many people’s mental health.
Players rarely take the time to appreciate video game developers. Twitter feeds and game forums are often filled with criticism. Even in normal circumstances, gamers fail to openly appreciate the efforts of those who work so hard. We may not know these workers by name, but they create brilliant stories, designs, and technology that allow us to enjoy immersion. So why not take a moment to say thanks?
| Game | Pandemic-era contribution |
|---|---|
| Apex Legends | Season 5: Fortune’s Favor, most successful launch to date |
| VALORANT | Early launch to offer entertainment |
| Fortnite | Travis Scott event, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Dillon Francis concerts |
| Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Mid-March release, frequent updates |
| Call of Duty: Warzone | Regular content to keep players busy |
🙏 Thank you, video game developers, for all your efforts to make our lives better while we stayed home, did our best to stay safe, and protected those around us. Thank you for continuing to work as hard as you could to roll out updates, fixes, and changes while grappling with COVID-19, including challenges that may have impacted your own mental health. Thank you for putting in the hours when you could have been sitting at home, feeling as helpless and hopeless as many others felt. Maybe there were days when you felt down, yet you kept showing up for people like that New York player. He is grateful. Millions of players are grateful. I hope you know how your work positively impacted people.
The pandemic may be history, but the thank-you does not have to be. 🎮💙