Issue 20 - Articles - Abstract - Fanatical Alien Monsters - Halo and religion in fan-forum discourse

Oct 7, 2026

Despite Halo’s cultural footprint since its 2001 debut, its religious themes have received limited academic attention. Using thematic analysis of forum discussions from 2018 to 2023 on the ther/halo subreddit, the project examines how fans of the Halo franchise use and discuss the term religion. Preliminary findings show fans critically engage with religion’s portrayal, often linking it to real-world religious groups and intertwining religiosity with monstrosity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Issue 20 (2024)

Emerging voices in the field

Introduction

Research question

Fan discussions and preliminary findings

Issue 20 (2024) articles The Subject of Games. Cartesian Anxiety in Game Cultures, Game Studies, and Gameplay by Gerald Voorhees, 1 Pirating Platform Studies. The Historical Impact of Latin American Clone Consoles, 1973-1994 by Phillip Penix-Tadsen, 35 Gamification. A Conceptual Critique to Move Forwards by Lobna Hassan, 88 Role-Playing Games in the Classroom. Engaging Students with Ethics, Religion, and Games as Explorations of Society by Christine Tomlinson, 114 reports Understanding Modern Views on the Middle Ages Through Research-led Learning. A Teaching Report by Philipp Frey and Joana Hansen, 153 IASGAR PhD day reports “Fear the Old Blood.” Bloodborne, Christian Concepts of Communion, and Theological Reflection by Ed Watson, 169 Blessed Are the Geek. Christian Gaming Content Creators and Digital Discipleship by Sophia Rosenberg, 179 Fanatical Alien Monsters. Halo and Religion in Fan-Forum Discourse by Emma Milerud Sundström, 189 “Blood for the Blood God!” Engaging with Gods and Religion in the Warhammer 40K Universe by Tara B. M. Smith, 201 reviews Video Game Characters and Transmedia Storytelling: The Dynamic Game Character (2023) by Joleen Blom. A Book Review by Gia Coturri Sorenson, 212 IASGAR PhD Day Report Fanatical Alien Monsters. Halo and Religion in Fan-Forum Discourse Emma Milerud Sundström Abstract Despite Halo’s extensive cultural footprint since its 2001 debut, its religious themes have largely been overlooked academically, an oversite this project attempts to address. Utilizing thematic analysis of forum discussions from 2018 to 2023 on ther/halo subreddit, this small-scale research project aims to explore how fans of the Halo franchise utilize and discuss the term religion. Preliminary findings of this study indicate that fans critically engage with the portrayal of religion in Halo, often drawing parallels between the franchise’s alien antagonists and real-world religious groups, where religiosity and monstrosity commonly become intertwined. This dialogue extends beyond gameplay, touching on broader societal and existential issues. This project contributes to the understanding of how video games like Halo can influence players’ perceptions of religion and offer a platform for exploring complex moral and existential questions, and how players can perceive video game monsters in a manner that transcends simple game mechanics. Keywords: Halo, FPS, Fan Discourse, Fan-Forums, Monsters, gamevironments To cite this article: Milerud Sundström, E., 2024. Fanatical alien monsters. Halo and religion in fan-forum discourse. Gamevironments 20, 189-200. Available at [https://journals.suub.uni-bremen.de/](https://journals.suub.uni-bremen.de/) . IASGAR PhD Day Report: Introduction by Gregory Price Grieve The 2nd Annual Summer Graduate Workshop hosted by UNCG’s Network for Cultural Study of Video Gaming and the International Academy for Study of Gaming and Religion, titled Videogaming and Cultural Values, was held on 27 and 28 July 2023. Tailored for early-stage researchers and doctoral students, the workshop focused on media-centered approaches, perspectives from game developers and publishers, and 189 insights from gamers. Participants engaged in discussions and debates on theoretical frameworks for exploring the intersection of religion, culture, and video gaming. Due to their outstanding quality, select presentations from the workshop have been chosen for publication in this issue as Emerging Voices in the Field. Introduction “Halo both gives a sense of wonder and beauty of things beyond our understanding, but also tells a cautionary tale about blindly trusting leaders and dogma.” (Anon 1 2021) Since the release of the first Halo game, Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) in November 2001, the franchise has developed into a popular cultural phenomenon, spawning (among other things) TV-series, books, graphic novels, and tie-in games. The titular hero of the fr

FAQs

What is the main focus of the project described in the abstract?

The project investigates how fans of the Halo franchise use and discuss the concept of religion in the games, drawing on forum discussions from 2018 to 2023.

How does the research analyze the forum content?

It applies thematic analysis to fan forum discussions collected from 2018 to 2023 on the ther/halo subreddit.

What do preliminary findings suggest about how fans relate religion to Halo?

Fans critically engage with religion’s portrayal in Halo and often draw parallels between Halo’s alien antagonists and real-world religious groups, intertwining religiosity with monstrosity.

Oct 7, 2026

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