Memefication of game fandom on TikTok: Playful engagements with sounds, bodies, and algorithmic affordances

Authors

  • Kristine Ask University of Vaasa and NTNU
  • Tanja Sihvonen University of Vaasa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2026.2911

Keywords:

Actor-Network Theory, Meme, Memetics, Platform vernacular, Repetition, Video

Abstract

Memetic logics and participation play an increasingly important role in online communication and community-building. They have consequences for online fandom and the way fans create and circulate their works. Based on an ethnographic study of the Call of Duty fandom on TikTok from 2022 to 2023, we explore how the platform's affordances shape fannish expressions. Drawing on Actor-Network Theory, we are concerned with how memetic communication within fandom highlights interplay between human and nonhuman actors. The analysis demonstrates how creators must communicate with both algorithms and audiences on TikTok and how they need to take into account the platformization of bodies and the standardizing effects of video editing software in fannish endeavors.

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Published

2026-03-14

Issue

Vol. 47 (2026): Gaming Fandom

Section

Article

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Kristine Ask, Tanja Sihvonen

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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