This study aims to investigate the relationship between the intensity of online gaming and the development of computational thinking skills, a crucial competency for informatics educators. This research employs a quantitative approach, utilizing a survey method to collect data from 101 prospective informatics teachers at Informatics Education Program, Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau. Data were analyzed using regression analysis to determine the correlation between online gaming intensity and computational thinking skills. The results indicate that a majority of respondents (75.3%) engage in online gaming for 1–2 h per day and 55.8% for 1–2 days per week. The regression analysis revealed that the intensity of online gaming does not significantly correlate with computational thinking skills, as indicated by a t-value of 1.367, which is lower than the critical value (t-table = 2.001), and a significance level of 0.177 (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that the time spent on online gaming by the respondents does not substantially influence their computational thinking abilities. Contrary to some previous studies, this research found no significant relationship between the intensity of online gaming and the development of computational thinking skills among prospective informatics teachers. The study highlights the need for educational strategies that more directly target the enhancement of computational thinking through structured learning activities, rather than relying on online gaming as a developmental tool. Further research is recommended to explore the potential impacts of specific types of games and the role of game-based learning in the education of informatics teachers.