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I'd like to ask a few questions on ethics in video games, starting with:

Is it allowed to steal from other players in an online video game?

To keep it simple, stick to games that specifically enable stealing from fellow players, as well as state explicitly in the game's description that this game involves this mechanic as an intended mechanic.

The simplest starting point on thinking about this problem is to consider the following points:

  1. People don't have to play.
  2. They know what to expect (and the rules/mechanics) if they do actively choose to play.
  3. The items that are being stolen are virtual items.
  4. The items may be virtual, but there will still be some investment/effort in their acquisition.

Typical game for those who have no idea:

A person selects/designs a character/avatar that they then use to enter a large online virtual world (with lots of other concurrent players connecting). In that world, they will fight creatures and players, amass currency and skills, and use those to purchase/craft higher value items (such as stronger weapons, armor, vehicles or cosmitics to brandish their character with). Other players might be able to attack them, and if they win, take whatever they want that the player they defeated is carrying at the time.

unforgettableidSupportsMonica
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Rabbi Kaii
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    Is it that different from stealing first base (baseball)? Or stealing / intercepting the ball in basketball? Would you ask the same question there? – Naftali Tzvi Oct 04 '23 at 00:28
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    Or playing the many board games which involve "capturing" an opponent's peice (to eithe remove the piece from play as in chess, or take as your own) – Naftali Tzvi Oct 04 '23 at 00:31
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    @NaftaliTzvi I am not sure. I think there are definitely paradigms of this exact question in many or maybe all games, although I can't comment on specific examples. Video games seems a good place to center the discussion. A person might be stealing from a single individual, who spent a huge amount of time and effort acquiring the goods being stolen, and might genuinely be saddened by their loss. There might also be relevant differences when the items being stolen are purely virtual – Rabbi Kaii Oct 04 '23 at 00:31
  • https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/28057/ethics-in-video-games-idol-worship – sam Oct 06 '23 at 00:21

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