Highlights
- 86% of under-18s are connected to a fandom, with games leading discovery.
- Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft form the top youth fandoms in the US and UK.
- Strong engagement and spending, with most interacting daily and 81% spending recently.
Video games are the primary gateway into fandoms for young audiences in the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (U.K.), surpassing movies, television, and creators, according to new research from SuperAwesome. The study found that 86% of children and teens aged 4 to 18 are connected to at least one fandom, with games most often serving as the first point of discovery and a key driver of long-term loyalty.
Franchises including Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft ranked among the top youth fandoms across both markets, underscoring gaming’s role as a shared cultural foundation for Gen Alpha and Gen Z.
The research identifies age eight as a pivotal transition, describing it as a “golden age of discovery,” when children move from early childhood interests into more defined pre-teen fandoms. Games are typically discovered earlier than films, TV shows, or creators, giving them a structural advantage in shaping early affinity.
Games Drive Early Fandom Discovery and Long-Term Engagement
About 42% of under-18s in the US and 48% in the U.K. stated that creators play a role in keeping them engaged, with influence rising to nearly 60% among younger children. Engagement is frequent, with 56% interacting with their fandoms daily, reinforcing the report’s emphasis on talkability over visibility.
Fandom drop-off is most common between ages 4 and 9, with 38% of seven to nine-year-olds leaving a fandom during that period. About one in three leave a fandom, but later return over time, often through new releases, crossovers, or nostalgia-driven content. Commercial impact is already significant: 81% spent money on fandoms in the past three months, with roughly 28% spending £100 (~$137 USD) or more.
Based on responses from nearly 2K participants, the report concludes that Gen Alpha and Gen Z are shaping fandom culture from the ground up. It positions games not just as entertainment, but as the starting point for how young audiences discover, engage with, and return to cultural worlds over time.
