Role models in gaming: Wishful identification and maladaptive daydreaming mediate the association between desire for fame and game engagement

The popularity of video games has considerably increased in recent years, with approximately 3.24 billion players worldwide in 2021. Empirical evidence suggests that the quality of engagement in video games can determine whether a gaming activity is associated with psychological distress (i.e., problematic gaming) or self-enhancing outcomes (i.e., esports career pursuits). This study investigates the role of influential gaming role models and other external factors relating to fame appeal in gamers' different ways of engagement. A total of 803 adolescent and adult gamers (89.29 % male, Mage = 24.90 years, SD = 6.13) were recruited through an online questionnaire. A path analysis was constructed demonstrating that wishful identification partially mediated the relationship between desire for fame and esports career planning. Moreover, maladaptive daydreaming fully mediated the association between desire for fame and gaming disorder symptoms. Wishful identification with gaming role models predicted both esports career planning and gaming disorder symptoms. The findings shed light on the importance of considering the role of gaming role models in predicting healthy and problematic gaming patterns. •Wishful identification (WI) is associated with esports career through desire for fame (DF).•Maladaptive daydreaming mediates the link between DF and gaming disorder (GD).•WI can alter both esports career plans and GD.•The study emphasizes the role of gaming influencers in gaming behaviors.