In-game toxicity can take a toll on mental health and turn a good day for anyone playing a video game for fun into a bad one. A Valorant player dubbed Taylor Morgon became a victim of such an incident recently and appealed to the creators of the game, Riot Games, to act on this.
Following the rising concerns over the issue, Riot planned a course of action and shared a video on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) where studio head Anna Donolan explained how they were taking the matter into their own hands. They plan to eradicate those who showcase negative behavior that affects the rest of the community at large.
No One is Ever Prepared For an Assault Like That in Video Games
On May 13, 2024, Taylor uploaded a video of her stream while playing the game. During the voice chat, we can hear a male voice talking rubbish and causing her to leave the game. It was shocking, as mentioned in her post, that no one is prepared to take such kind of assault.
She appealed to Riot Games to do something to tackle this issue in the post, which has already gained over 40 million views on the platform.
I have never made a more desperate plea that what I am about to say right now. @riotgames @RiotSupport I need you guys to fucking do something. I am an incredibly strong person and I have been streaming for a very, very long time. But absolutely nothing prepares you for someone… pic.twitter.com/Gr77uBsBrT
— TaylorMorgan (@TaylorMorganS_) May 13, 2024
She wrote:
The suspensions are not enough. Nothing will ever stop these men from acting this way until hardware bans go into play.
Now that the issue has escalated, Riot Games is taking the matter into their own hands.
Valorant Studio Head Cannot Stand These Offenders Spreading Hate
Trash talkers should start packing their bags, as Valorant developers aren’t in a talking mood right now. With the latest video explaining how the changes in the game will be implemented in the upcoming days. Anna seemed to be inclined toward the fact that muting the offender won’t help, as it doesn’t justify their behavior.
That’s true, as these offenders would do the same as they would in other games. The video sheds light on the five steps they will be implementing, beginning with a 30-day review for policy updates. It also talks about manual reviews of players they suspect are not fitting to be in the community.
A message from @RiotSuperCakes about the current state of player behavior and upcoming changes to make our community a better place pic.twitter.com/eiwoGsB930
— VALORANT (@VALORANT) May 30, 2024
She says:
This will allow us to issue more severe penalties faster with a focus on the most severe behavior. Things like hate speech, severe sexual content, and any threats of violence which have no place in our game.
Users showcased their happiness on social media. ValorINTEL believes Riot Games will clean up the mess that has been made by these offenders.
Phenomenal update.
Hope this cleans up the VALORANT space that we all know and love.Thanks @RiotSuperCakes for the update!
— Valorant News (@ValorINTEL) May 30, 2024
Another account called ValorLeaks thinks the measure would prevent “repeat offenders.”
The mobile version of Valorant is under wraps too, and this measure should keep the evil at bay from there too. Or maybe they should use Skynet-like AI to lock these offenders out.
What do you think about this measure Valorant is implementing? We would like to know your thoughts in the comments section below.
