Tarnished together

This master's thesis explores the Elden Ring fan community on TikTok through a qualitative thematic analysis of fan-made videos. Being motivated by both academic interest and personal enthusiasm for gaming, this research analyses how Elden Ring fans interpret their game's experience, contribute to participatory culture, and build community through their creative content. Furthermore, Elden Ring's widespread success, critical acclaim, and vibrant presence on social media platforms like TikTok, known for its personalized algorithm and short-form video content, make it a compelling case for studying digital fandom and fan engagement. Using reflexive thematic analysis, four main themes emerged from the fan video: boss fights and hardships which highlights the emotional and challenging encounters, building your own character and skills which focuses on customization and player builds, online how-to guides and progression strategies which emphasizes fan knowledge-sharing, and the beauty of Elden Ring in fan edits which showcases the game's aesthetic appeal. These themes reveal diverse fan experiences, ranging from competitive gameplay and rapid progression to relaxed exploration and roleplaying, highlighting different ways fans participate and contribute to the community on TikTok. These themes reveal a complex fan environment, where some players share fast progression and strategic skills, while others adopt alternative playstyles, such as roleplaying or exploring the game world in a more relaxed manner like a cozy game, reflecting diverse approaches to experience the game. Moreover, the analysis illustrates how fan-made videos serves multiple functions: as a resource for game knowledge-exchange, a creative outlet, to actively participate within the community and to feel a sense of belonging among Elden Ring fans on TikTok. Ultimately, this thesis highlights that Elden Ring fan-made videos on TikTok are more than just entertainment, they act as dynamic environment for participatory culture, facilitating shared meaning-making and collective negotiation of the gaming experience in Elden Ring. All in all, the findings emphasize the significant role of TikTok in shaping digital fandom and highlight how fan communities use social media to co-create cultural value and are making vibrant engagements around highly popular media texts.