Video games have some of the most dedicated and versatile communities known to the internet, matched only in zeal and focus by porn addicts and Civil War reenactors. And while games are never too coy about their objectives (collect that star, shoot that guy, press X to not die), in some cases, their community will decide for them, spawning an entire new metagame that's even more fascinating than what the developers planned.

7 Overwatch Is Nurturing A BDSM Hookup Scene

Blizzard Entertainment

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Overwatch is the hot new thing on the competitive multiplayer scene, with millions of players lining up to play iconic heroes like Speedy Girlnextdoor, Iron Apeman and Clint Eastwood. What really sells Overwatch, though, is that it feels like good clean fun in a genre that's usually festooned with blood, dirt, and teenagers shouting homophobic slurs through their headsets. And developer Blizzard aims to keep it that way, even if that means downplaying a certain character's buttocks area. It's somewhat ironic, then, that this T for Teen shooter nonetheless became a F for Fetish breeding ground.

Blizzard Entertainment

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"And D for DAYYYUUMMM."

If you've ever played Overwatch, you may have noticed someone playing the healer, Mercy, using her "Imp" skin and slavishly following the toughest player on the team. If you're wondering what that's all about, there's a perfectly simple explanation: That player's way into BDSM. The highly attractive healer character has been a surprise hit within a certain subset of the domination and submission fetish community, leading to people playing her as what they refer to as a "healslut." These players will find a tank (big, burly fighters) to be the "dom" to their "sub." They'll then play their healer like she's a housewife from the '40s, spending the entire match servicing, rewarding, and praising their tank. Oftentimes, they'll have a kinky private chat during and after the match -- praying they haven't been living out their sexual fantasies with a horny 12-year-old who got way more than they bargained for.

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The practice of being a "healslut" has gotten popular enough to warrant its own subreddit (warning: you will see animated genitals), where open-minded people share their experiences of submitting themselves in-game.

Reddit

"Sexually submissive subreddit subscription for sexual AND alliteration gratification."

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By now, the practice has leaked over to other multiplayer games, with players even publishing guides on how to be the optimal healslut -- a relative term when it comes to gaming with one hand. In shooters, where the most important thing is usually racking up kill counts and destroying lesser players, it's quite refreshing to see a subset of players who find the greatest joy in healing and supporting their team members. And hey, if in the process someone achieves a win streak in their pants, more power-ups to them.