As someone who has teetered on the fine line between the Millennial and Gen-Z identity for their entire life, I’ve been gaming online for longer than I’ve been able to grow a full beard. Counter-Strike 1.6 lobbies, Halo 3 custom games, and LAN parties in internet cafés with Hamachi — that’s the era I grew up in. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder than during those chaotic, unplanned, beautifully stupid nights when nothing mattered except having fun with strangers who somehow began feeling like family.