Disclaimer: This article is solely of the opinion of the author and does not reflect the collective thoughts and opinions of The Magic Rain and its members.
Competitive gaming is a toxic wasteland and everybody knows it. I recently spent an entire post talking about that here, so instead of revisiting old problems, why don’t we begin talking solutions?
If there’s anything we believe here at The Magic Rain, it’s that we have to be the change we want to see. Toxicity in competitive gaming may have existed for longer than we can remember, but it is not impossible to cure, and here are a few ways you can help:
Begin with a friendly greeting
I’ve played multiple games where a friendly “Hello guys, let’s win this!” becomes the defining difference between a win or a loss. It’s not just setting a positive tone, it’s also showing that you’re willing to work together in a team. You’d be surprised to see how many people would be willing to cooperate!
Ignore instead of Ignite
Don’t fight fire with fire. If someone is provoking you online, either apologise (if it’s your fault) or just choose to close an eye or an ear instead of lashing back at them. Toxic behaviour is only empowered when you choose to contribute to it. Otherwise, it’s just empty words from a person who cannot control their temper.
Support the game developers’ efforts
Many games have a reporting system, so use it – responsibly! If we want game developers to use their almighty powers to help us, we have to feed them data that will be useful to them. Follow guidelines where there are any. If people begin reporting each other inappropriately, it only hinders our progress towards a less toxic gaming community.
Don’t be a tyrant
In the end, a game is a game, but the way you behave will dictate your attitude and reputation for life. Basically? Don’t be a sore loser. Instead, take your experiences – both bad and good – and channel it into improving yourself or adapting to your team in the future. I’ve personally found that adapting instead of ordering your team around leads to better games overall.
In conclusion? An issue like this may oftentimes seem too big for one person to tackle, but just remember, even a single raindrop can cause a ripple in still water. How you choose to react to the things that happen to you can sometimes change an entire situation to your favour. All you need to do is take that first step. Good luck!
