If you knew a catastrophic event were set to wipe out society as we know it, how would you act in the days leading up to the'end of the world'? It's a question that many have considered as apocalyptic narratives cling to popularity – and, researchers say players' behaviour in a video game could tell us what to expect. A new study analyzed people's actions in an'end times' scenario, using a closed beta test of the game ArcheAge as a proxy. While some turned to murder and other anti-social behaviours, the study found most people become more social in the face of impending disaster, creating new relationships even as they abandoned plans for the future. If you knew a catastrophic event were set to wipe out society as we know it, how would you act in the days leading up to the'end of the world'?

Have you ever wondered how you would act at the end of the world? Players' actions in a video game could reveal insights into how an impending apocalypse might affect people's behaviour. A team of researchers analysed how players behaved in a beta test of ArcheAge, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). The players knew that all of their character information and progress would be deleted at the end of the test, which lasted about 11 weeks. This meant the researchers could watch how their actions changed as they got closer to the virtual world's end.