Valorant, Riot Games’ premier tactical shooter, has rapidly gained a global player base since its launch. However, the rise in popularity has also seen an increase in toxic player behaviour, particularly through voice comms. Riot Games has been proactively addressing these issues, with Anna Donlon, the head of Valorant, recently outlining significant changes aimed at improving the community environment. This article delves into these upcoming changes, their potential impact, and the broader implications for the Valorant community.
Riot Games’ Commitment to a Better Community
Anna Donlon emphasizes that Riot Games does not intend to “sanitise gaming” or suppress harmless banter. However, the expectation that players should simply “grow a thicker skin” is unacceptable. Donlon asserts, “There’s no room in our community for the most egregious behaviours, and we’re not going to compromise on that point.”
Since the game’s launch, the integration of voice communications has been both a boon and a bane. It enhances team coordination but also opens avenues for harassment. Donlon acknowledges that fighting in-game harassment was anticipated to be one of the most challenging aspects of maintaining a positive player experience. “We’ve been working on systems and technologies, and we actually have been making a lot of progress,” she notes, underscoring the complexity of managing large, global player communities.
In recent weeks, Donlon has reviewed player logs, penalty escalation paths, and discussed “player behaviour philosophies.” The findings highlighted that while progress has been made, Riot Games “absolutely needs to do better” in protecting its players. The realization that the current systems often require players to endure severe harassment before action is taken has been a significant point of concern.
Five Key Actions to Combat Toxicity
In response to these findings, Riot Games has outlined five critical actions to improve player behaviour. These measures aim to create a safer and more welcoming environment for all players.
1. Policy Updates and Stronger Penalties
Within the next 30 days, Riot Games will finalize updates to existing policies, focusing on implementing stronger and faster penalties for severe, harmful behaviours. This includes the introduction of hardware bans for repeat offenders. The goal is to create a deterrent effect, ensuring that players understand the serious consequences of engaging in toxic behaviour.
2. Enhanced Manual Reviews
To support these policy updates, Riot Games will increase support for manual reviews. This means dedicating more resources to thoroughly investigate reported incidents, ensuring that penalties are applied swiftly and fairly. The aim is to close the gap between the occurrence of an incident and the implementation of a penalty.
3. Expanded Voice Evaluation Systems
Riot Games plans to expand the rollout of its voice evaluation systems to additional regions. These systems are designed to monitor voice communications for abusive language and behaviours, providing a more comprehensive approach to detecting and addressing toxicity in real-time.
4. Review of Top Suspected Offenders
In a one-time initiative, Riot Games will conduct a thorough review of the top suspected offenders from the previous act. This retrospective analysis aims to identify players who have consistently engaged in toxic behaviour and issue appropriate penalties, thereby reinforcing the message that such actions will not be tolerated.
5. Bystander Feedback Feature
A new “bystander feedback” feature will be introduced, allowing players to receive notifications about the outcomes of actions taken against offenders, even if they did not report the incident themselves. This transparency is intended to reassure the community that reports are taken seriously and that action is being taken to maintain a positive gaming environment.
As a recap, Riot Games’ proactive approach to addressing player behaviour in Valorant demonstrates a firm commitment to creating a positive and inclusive community. The combination of policy updates, technological advancements, and community engagement initiatives aims to tackle toxicity head-on, ensuring that all players can enjoy a safe and enjoyable gaming experience.