It's frustrating that muting is the only solution

Dakkimchi·5/22/2018, 2:23:55 PM·6 votes·4,591 views

The only effective solution to handle toxic players is... well, muting. And moving on. It's frustrating to say, but interacting with toxicity often makes you toxic as well, and You are at the risk of getting banned, because the system does not care who started it, but anyone who is involved. Which is perfectly fine. Muting is the best solution. People who have played for a long time are numb to toxicity, it only tilts them (so they mute and move on).

But I don't like it when people hurt from toxicity talk about it on the forums, and half of the replies are "you could have just muted." They are right, but they also miss the point. Just because there is a solution doesn't mean that toxicity is not bad.

With that said, if a person asks me what the best solution to a toxic player is, I would say muting. And that is frustrating in some ways.

29 Comments

Kaioko5/22/2018, 2:30:43 PM3 votes

So after reading your post, I have to ask -- what is exactly is your point? Half the time I don't even mute the one being toxic and I can easily ignore it. When another person starts being toxic back, it just escalates it to a whole other level and forces people who muted the first person to also mute the second person. The second person is just as bad no doubt about it.

On the forums we just point out why people got banned and what they should've done. It may sound cold but it's impartial. It doesn't sound like you're asking us to change that or change the way punishments are handled. You're also not offering a solution to better fight toxicity and agreeing that muting is the best option.

So if all the point of this is saying it's frustrating... well in the words of Rammus "ok."

Sir Prepuzius5/23/2018, 1:11:12 PM2 votes

wrong, the post is based on the false premise that muting is the only option

the real option is to be aware of the fact that you can and must report the toxic player afterward

and that's where the real fun begins

JoB0b5/22/2018, 3:07:07 PM1 votes

I disagree, if you don't like it, mute and get over it. I feel we should be able to say what ever we want regardless if it's toxic. Is whole reason mute was created.

KZ Engel5/22/2018, 4:11:18 PM1 votes

how is it frustrating? it's been like that for the entirety of the online gaming's existence. someone's being an insufferable %%%%, you mute/ignore/block them. it's not hard. why do you feel entitled to a safe space in a video game?

how did we go from finding 12 year olds on call of duty funny to being legitimately triggered by words in league?

Campingstove5/23/2018, 7:08:36 PM1 votes

You are correct, it's absurd that people's (including Riot employees) response to toxicity in game is 'just mute'. That's blaming the victim instead of addressing the issue. I know they can ban and place chat restrictions on consistently reported toxic behaviors, but when we don't actually get notifications of reports being done whether it occurred appropriately or not and get responses of 'just mute them' I understand your frustration and share it.

Muting is a quick response for the moment but a flawed and reactive one instead of dealing with the root cause.

Hugh Muńgus5/22/2018, 3:53:49 PM1 votes

My post on this might interest you

Dragfin5/22/2018, 2:32:39 PM1 votes

{quoted}

The only effective solution to handle toxic players is... well, muting. And moving on. It's frustrating to say, but interacting with toxicity often makes you toxic as well, and You are at the risk of getting banned, because the system does not care who started it, but anyone who is involved. Which is perfectly fine. Muting is the best solution. People who have played for a long time are numb to toxicity, it only tilts them (so they mute and move on).

But I don't like it when people hurt from toxicity talk about it on the forums, and half of the replies are "you could have just muted." They are right, but they also miss the point. Just because there is a solution doesn't mean that toxicity is not bad.

With that said, if a person asks me what the best solution to a toxic player is, I would say muting. And that is frustrating in some ways.

If RIOT had any sense at all they would get rid of in game chat altogether. There is really no reason to even have it to be honest and then nobody would have to worry about chat toxicity anymore. If anyone plays Gold Clash you communicate to the other player with a select pool of emotes and it works fine. Those who want to talk to each other can get in voice chat. League is set up in a way that pings are more than enough to communicate things to your team. By keeping chat all RIOT is doing is enabling toxic people. Get rid of it and it goes away. It's that simple but not simple enough for RIOT to comprehend. With the type of tools available to RIOT and for them not to use them tells you they could give 2 shits about making a more inviting gaming environment, especially for new people.