Video games have evolved significantly since their rise in popularity in the 1970s, leading to a remarkable surge in players. Today, there are around 3 billion gamers globally, with estimates indicating that over 90% of Gen Z engage in gaming for more than 12 hours a week. Contemporary gaming blockbusters are vibrant and imaginative, immersing young people in dynamic and expansive worlds they can explore and influence.

This burgeoning creative talent has caught the attention of criminals, who target children and teenagers within popular online games, transforming them into skilled hackers.

The financial and societal repercussions of cybercrime are staggering. It is predicted that global costs of cybercrime will reach: 12 trillion dollars by 2025. Moreover, research indicates that 69% of youth in Europe report having engaged in some form of cybercrime. In the UK, the last statistics released by the National Crime Agency in 2015 revealed that the average age for cybercrime suspects is 17, which is notably younger than for other criminal activities like drug offenses (37 years old).

“If you’re facing arrest at 17, it likely began around age 11,” states Fergus Hay, co-founder and CEO of The Hacking Games, an initiative aimed at helping young individuals channel their coding talents into legitimate paths. “This transition doesn’t happen instantly. Games are often the gateway that enables skill development and experimentation in a controlled setting. These young hackers are continually modifying and hacking games to exploit vulnerabilities.”

He further noted that social media platforms are integral, offering tools and steps for hacking while also fostering a desirable lifestyle and community belonging.

This challenge coincides with a notable uptick in serious cyber-attacks within the UK. The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) recently reported a historic surge in large-scale cyber assaults. In the year leading to August 2025, GCHQ categorized 204 incidents as being of ‘national significance,’ an increase from 89 the prior year.

In response to these threats, Hay initiated the Hacking Games and collaborated with John Madeline, a cybersecurity expert, to realize a vision of “cultivating a generation of ethical hackers who will enhance global safety.”

“This is a generation of inherent hackers. They can either serve society positively or become a liability. If we can engage them, we can guide them towards becoming ethical rather than criminal hackers,” Madeline emphasizes.

The Hacking Games recently unveiled the HAPTAI platform, which assists in creating hacking aptitude profiles for youths by evaluating their performance in popular games and aligning those results with psychometric data. Subsequently, candidates are matched with suitable job roles and teams where they can flourish.

The projected global average annual cost of cybercrime is $23 trillion by 2027, fueled by threats from state entities and organized crime groups worldwide. These groups often seek out young individuals, steering them towards criminal activities.

For youths approached by these “cyber Fagins,” there is a lure of significant financial gain. Initial payments often come in the form of virtual currencies for gaming but can escalate to tens of thousands in real money or its virtual equivalent.

“When they identify talent displaying genuine hacking or game modification skills, they engage them under the guise of another youth, asking, ‘How would you utilize cryptocurrency?'” Hay explains. “Many are exceptionally bright, sometimes neurodivergent, employing games as a medium to push creative boundaries. They do not inherently possess a criminal mindset.”

The scale of the cybercrime issue in the UK has become increasingly evident over the past year, with businesses experiencing significant disruption and monetary loss. Major corporations, including Co-op, have reported losses amounting to millions due to hacking incidents, one of which saw four arrests as part of an ongoing investigation by the National Crime Agency.

Social Issues Behind Crime

As a socially conscious organization, Co-op is dedicated to community enhancement and has partnered with The Hacking Games to mitigate future cyber threats and foster opportunities for vulnerable youth.

“When they experienced a cyberattack, Co-op sought to understand the nature of the issue. Upon discovering underlying societal factors, they recognized their responsibility to grasp the root causes impacting youth and to collaborate with us to address these challenges, not just the technical aspects,” Madeline clarifies.

The Co-op has a longstanding tradition of community initiatives addressing issues like social mobility and isolation. Together, Co-op and The Hacking Games aim to establish a pilot program within the Co-op Academies Trust across Northern England. Sponsored by Co-op Group, the Trust encompasses a network of 38 academies with around 20,000 students, including primary, secondary, special schools, and universities, dedicated to guiding aspiring hackers towards legitimate career trajectories.

For this pilot, students will be selected based on their interests in gaming and technology. Through interactive and creative sessions, participants will delve into the principles of ethical hacking and understand its crucial role in cybersecurity. The program will also highlight career education, with reputable industry partners introducing talented youths to the vast prospects available in this rapidly expanding domain.

“Our academy students’ curiosity about technology-related roles is on the rise, yet there is scant data regarding their home gaming environments and whether these interests extend to hacking,” remarks Joe Sykes, careers director at Co-op Academies Trust. “As educators, we must confront these challenges directly—this initiative will undoubtedly provide fresh perspectives and foster insights for students eager to explore these pathways.”

A Path to a Legitimate Career

Young gamers may find themselves simply altering game experiences without authorization or creating cheat codes to sell them on the dark web.

Some parents associated with The Hacking Games have only discovered their child’s online activities when asked about tax implications after their digital wallets reached $400,000 (£298,000).

“For the youth unsure about further education, many are starting to realize that substantial earnings can come from just a few keystrokes,” explains Madeline.

According to Hay and Madeline, it’s essential to engage young individuals before they stray too far, to identify their skills, recognize their potential, and integrate these into an educational framework that aims to fill the cybersecurity skills gap in the UK and globally—a concept Hay refers to as “intergenerational opportunities.”

“Many of these youths have felt marginalized in school and, at times, victimized. They possess a deep disdain for wrongdoers and bullies. If you understand their motivations, you can channel that into something positive,” he concludes.

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