▁mot ives . ▁G amer gate ▁supp or ters ▁said ▁there ▁was ▁un eth ical ▁coll usion ▁between ▁the ▁press ▁and ▁femin ists , ▁progress ives , ▁and ▁social ▁critics . ▁These ▁concerns ▁have ▁been ▁dismiss ed ▁by ▁comment ators ▁as ▁trivial , ▁consp i racy ▁theories , ▁ground less , ▁or ▁un related ▁to ▁actual ▁issues ▁of ▁eth ics . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁G amer gate ▁has ▁often ▁been ▁defined ▁by ▁the ▁har ass ment ▁its ▁supp or ters ▁engaged ▁in . ▁G amer gate ▁supp or ters ▁have ▁frequently ▁respond ed ▁to ▁this ▁by ▁den ying ▁that ▁the ▁har ass ment ▁took ▁place ▁or ▁by ▁f als ely ▁claim ing ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁manufact ured ▁by ▁the ▁vict ims . ▁ ▁The ▁controvers y ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁manifest ation ▁of ▁a ▁culture ▁war ▁over ▁cultural ▁divers ification , ▁art istic ▁recognition , ▁and ▁social ▁criticism ▁in ▁video ▁games , ▁and ▁over ▁the ▁social ▁identity ▁of ▁gam ers . ▁Many ▁supp or ters ▁of ▁G amer gate ▁opp ose ▁what ▁they ▁view ▁as ▁the ▁increasing ▁influence ▁of ▁femin ism ▁on ▁video ▁game ▁culture ; ▁as ▁a ▁result , ▁G amer gate ▁is ▁often ▁viewed ▁as ▁a ▁right - wing ▁back l ash ▁against ▁progress iv ism . ▁Indust ry ▁responses ▁to ▁the ▁har ass ment ▁campaign ▁have ▁focused ▁on ▁ways ▁to ▁minim ize ▁harm ▁and ▁prevent ▁similar ▁events . ▁G amer gate ▁has ▁led ▁figures ▁both ▁inside ▁and ▁outside ▁the ▁industry ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁methods ▁of ▁address ing ▁online