Techniques for automatically establishing connections between users within a gaming social network, designed for connecting users having common gaming interests, social connections, or characteristics. Embodiments include methods for automatically establishing connections from members of an out-of-game social network, the gaming social network, and gaming activity participants; evaluating user profile information and user characteristics in a gaming social network and gaming activity in a game networking system to determine an appropriate set of connections for a selected user. Embodiments include systems configured to automatically establish and maintain connections between players in a gaming social network based on gaming activity in a gaming networking system and social relationship information retrieved from one or more social networks where the players have a social relationship.