Pixel Frontier: Human and Nature Interaction in Virtual Worlds. Case Studies of “Red Dead Redemption 2” and “Valheim”

Journal of Frontier Studies. 2026. Vol. 11. No. 1. P. 232–251.

Aliev R. T.

This article makes use of Frederick Turner’s Frontier Theory to examine how the video games Red Dead Redemption 2 and Valheim portray digital nature and shape identity within virtual spaces. The study places this analysis within a historiographical framework, exploring how developers reimagine the frontier concept, originally linked to American expansion, in digital environment. These virtual spaces address global issues of territorial expansion, resource management, and social bonding through gameplay, reflecting universal concerns about humanity’s interaction with nature. Red Dead Redemption 2 engages players with ethical dilemmas about resource use and human encroachment, while Valheim fosters collective identity and adaptability within procedurally generated landscapes. By highlighting the cultural and ecological awareness that video games encourage, this research underscores their value as platforms for cultural reflection and environmental education, demonstrating the impact of digital nature on players’ perception of the natural world.

Keywords: идентичность, identity, природа, социальная субъектность, nature, frontier, фронтир, social subjectivity, Digital Nature, Cultural Phenomena, Human and Nature Interaction, цифровая природа, культурные феномены, взаимодействие человека и природы

Publication based on the results of: Nature in the optics of digital culture: paradoxes, hybrids, phantasms (2024)