Doctoral Defence of Elisa Wiik on 20 March 2026

Elisa Wiik

MA Elisa Wiik examines in her doctoral dissertation how Finnish players who have reduced or stopped gaming understand their player identity and remain connected to game cultures. Her defence will take place on 20 March 2026 at Tampere University.

In her dissertation, What Does It Mean to Be a Lapsed Player? Fragmented play practices, player identity, and liminality of Finnish lapsed players, Wiik examines fatigued Finnish players who have reduced or stopped playing games. The study explores how lapsed players negotiate their player identity and continue to participate in game cultures in various ways despite diminished play practices.

The opponent will be Associate Professor Kelly Boudreau from Harrisburg University. The custos will be Professor Frans Mäyrä.

The permanent address of the publication is:
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-4443-6

Read the full defence announcement:
https://www.tuni.fi/en/news/elisa-wiik-despite-dwindling-play-practices-lapsed-players-participate-game-cultures-many-ways